Like many artists, Shakira’s rise in the music industry came with numerous accolades including several Grammy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, Guinness World Records, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and even the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. But besides receiving the title Queen of Latin Music, there is one honor Shakira has that many artists don’t—a statue.
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On Tuesday, while many took stock of what they received for Christmas, Shakira posted a picture displaying a massive 21.3-foot statue depicting the singer. Erected in her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia, artist Yino Márques brought the creation to life using her likeness in the hit 2005 music video “Hips Don’t Lie.”
With the statue beautifully depicting Shakira, the singer celebrated the creation with her family. Posting a collage of photos of the statue, it seems that her parents, William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia Ripoll Torrado, were on hand to also celebrate their daughter’s success. And to make it even better, the singer explained how it was her mother’s birthday. She captioned one of the photos, writing, “This is too much for my little heart”.
Besides the magnificent bronze statue, a dedication was placed at its feet. It read, “A heart that composes, hips that do not lie, an unmatched talent, a voice that moves masses and bare feet that march for the good of childhood and humanity.”
[RELATED: Shakira Powers Through Hits, Receives Video Vanguard Award at MTV VMAs]
Although Shakira now has her own statue, she also received her very own special day after fans promoted the #ShakiraDeservesADay campaign. Spotify listened to her Colombian fanbase and given that the singer is the No. 1 most listened-to female Latin artist on the streaming platform, they designated September 29 to be Shakira Day.
Shakira Thanks Fans And Colombia
Overwhelmed by the support she receives from fans, Shakira praised them in an interview with Spotify’s For the Record. She said, “The role that my fans have played in my career is impossible to quantify. They’ve known how to understand me better than anybody, and they’ve carried me to where I am today with their unwavering support.”
Shakira even admitted that Colombia was the source of her inspiration. “Colombia is a never-ending source of inspiration: for colors, culture, sounds, stories, folklore, and food. It’s such a rich culture and I’m so grateful to have been raised where I was…”
(Photo by Juan Naharro Gimenez/Getty Images)
