LIVE: Shakira More Than Just Hips And A Face
Monday August 28, 2006 @ 05:30 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

August 27, 2006
Air Canada Centre
Toronto, ON
by David McPherson

One concertgoer's T-shirt at the Shakira show Sunday night summed up the evening: "Everybody Loves A Spicy Latina!"

On this night, there was no denying that love — Latino-style — was in the air. The Colombian celebrity showed the full range of her talents, showcasing not only her sensual belly dancing and vigorous hip-shaking, but also her knack for writing spicy and poetic songs.

Patriotic fervour was in the ACC air. Colombian flags were draped from the 300-level balcony and attendees dressed in the South American nation's tri-colours (yellow, blue and red) danced, waved their glow sticks and sang along in Spanish.

Wyclef Jean opened, and proclaimed he isn't "your typical rap boy!" A DJ started things off with two turntables and a microphone and got the crowd singing and waving their hands for Jean, who arrived immediately after and boomed, "You are at a concert, no sitting on your butts."

The lively musician then proceeded to go into the crowd and brought up a woman who hadn't heeded his call. Within seconds, she was dancing and waving her arms along with the rest of the crazed crowd.

Jean's sweaty 30-minute set was explosive. He rapped in five languages and played electric guitar behind his head and with his teeth, a la Jimi Hendrix. The highlight was a cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," where the Haitian got a little political, chanting mid-song, "If anybody sees George Bush... Toronto, Toronto, tell him to stop the war, stop the war..."

Following a 45-minute break, the spotlight focused on a sole musician plucking a Middle Eastern instrument. Then the curtain dropped and Shakira came bouncing onto the stage barefoot and sporting loose black pants. She wasted no time breaking into the catchy "Estoy Aqui" from her debut disc, Pies Descalzo.

Backed by a tight seven-piece band, Shakira showcased songs from her vast catalogue. To the delight of the Latin lovers in attendance, she leaned more toward her Spanish repertoire. A highlight of the opening string of songs was "Antologia," which she wrote when she was 17. This slow track was delivered coffeehouse style at the front of the stage, with Shakira sitting on a box and accompanied by guitar, bongos and lap-steel guitar.

"Ojos Asi," her most Arabic-influenced song, was also one of the night's best. Here, Shakira showcased her trademark gyrations. A few other standouts were "Si Te Vas" and "Ciega, Sordomuda," with its Mariachi-style horns and upbeat rhythms.

An hour-and-45-minutes after Shakira slinked onstage, she invited Jean to join her. The pair performed their recent hit, "Hips Don't Lie." The throng of thousands pumped their hands in the air and Shakira gave the fans one final dance lesson as paper confetti rained down.

To view ChartAttack photographer Anita Zvonar's photos from the Shakira concert, click here.