Shakira's Bronze Statue Unveiled in Barranquilla, Colombia
Colombian singer Shakira, a Grammy-winning artist and one of the world's top-selling musicians, has been honored with a giant bronze statue in her hometown of Barranquilla. The statue depicts her in her famous belly-dancing pose. STR/AFP via Getty Images

Shakira, the internationally acclaimed Colombian singer, has been immortalized with a colossal 21.3ft (6.5 meters) bronze statue in her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia, per The Guardian.

Legend has it that the pop sensation first showcased her iconic hip-shaking dance moves on a table in a Lebanese restaurant in Barranquilla when she was just four years old.

Sharing her excitement on Instagram, Shakira posted photos and videos of the statue capturing her trademark hip swivel.

"Estoy muy emocionada por este homenaje a la mujer Colombiana y a las Barranquilleras dentro y fuera de mi tierra!" (I am very excited for this tribute to the Colombian woman and the Barranquilleras inside and outside my land!)

One post included a caption expressing her enthusiasm for the tribute to Colombian women and the Barranquilla, both within and beyond her homeland.

"This is too much for my little heart," she wrote.

Shakira Statue

The statue, a six-ton bronze masterpiece, is strategically placed on the emblematic Malecón del Río in the renowned "Capital of the Atlantic," HOLA! Noted.

Accompanied by a plaque lauding Shakira's career and philanthropy, the sculpture symbolizes her famous hip movement and features raised arms and hands clasped vertically, representing transcendence.

During the unveiling ceremony attended by Shakira's parents and the mayor, Jaime Pumarejo, the singer expressed gratitude to sculptor Yino Márquez and his students for their "enormous artistic talent."

The Shakira statue embodies the iconic belly dance, symbolizing the "waves of the sea and the river."

Its location on the newly constructed promenade along the Magdalena River emphasizes the town's connection to the sculpture.

This recent statue joins an earlier homage from 2006 when Barranquilla unveiled a Shakira monument depicting her in the early days of her career, playing an acoustic guitar and clad in jeans and boots near the entrance of the local soccer stadium.

Shakira's Parents Attend the Ceremony

Shakira shared photographs of her parents, William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado, who appeared joyous at the ceremony.

Mebarak, who faced health challenges over the past year, including a delicate surgery at 92, emerged victorious. Nidia, at 73, recovered from thrombosis in her leg.

Both parents represented Shakira at the ceremony, showcasing the town's pride in the singer's global contributions.

The Colombia pop star, a three-time Latin Grammy winner this year, made headlines with a fiery rap song about her ex-partner that broke YouTube records in January, AP reports.

Shakira also made headlines as she reached a settlement in a tax fraud case filed against her in Spain. The settlement involved the payment of a $8.3 million fine to avoid a trial in Barcelona.

The charges stemmed from allegations that she failed to pay $16.1 million in Spanish income tax for the years 2012 to 2014.

As part of the settlement, Shakira also agreed to an additional fine of $487,000 to circumvent a potential three-year prison sentence.

The judge conveyed these terms during the trial's initial hearing.

READ MORE: Shakira Net Worth 2023

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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