Simply Abu Dhabi III

Shakira has become a worldwide success story with her distinctive blending of rock and pop sounds with Latin and Arabic beats. Courtesy of Flash Entertainment Abu Dhabi, Amr Diab and Shakira played Yas Arena as part of the Yas Island Show weekend tour. Returning to UAE shores following her mind-blowing 2008 New Year’s Eve performance, Shakira once again brought her unique pop/ folk sound and astonishing Middle Eastern and Latin- inspired energetic dance moves to the island. Fans of both stars gathered with nationalities from around the world coming together for an evening of first class entertainment and it rocked! As we entered Yas Arena in Abu Dhabi there was a positive buzz amongst the music fans filing in and we just knew this was going to be a great night of vibrant entertainment from a ground-breaking rock and pop sensation. Some people are born performers, some people have an incredible stage presence, some people have beautiful voices that can captivate a crowd and some people can move to the music with such style and rhythm that you can’t tear your eyes away from them. Shakira can do it all – she really is the full package and having been lucky enough to see her perform at Yas Arena on Yas Island we can say that with absolute conviction. It was sensational. Joining Shakira for the evening was Amr Diab, three times award winner of the World Music Awards for his albums ‘Nour El Ain and Aktar Wahed’. He bounded onto the stage bursting with energy and gave a vibrant and cultural performance with tracks like “Nour El Ein”, “Al Alem Allah”. He certainly charmed the crowd and built up an expectant and enthusiastic mood amongst the audience in preparation for Shakira’s stunning performance. So, Amr Diab, the King of Arab pop had set the mood for the evening and you could feel the huge anticipation in the arena as we waited for Shakira to emerge. This is a lady who knows how to make an entrance! She came through the crowd wearing a head-turning bright pink hooded clock which she removed on stage to reveal a fantastic gold top to complement her golden tousled hair and black wet look leggings perfect for emphasising those infamous hip movements. Shakira’s fabulous set following Amr Diab’s perfect performance certainly lived up to the hype as she brought east and west together in imitable musical harmony. The hips don’t lie! My personal favourite is the 2010 FIFAWorld Cup anthem “Waka Waka” (This time for Africa) and I certainly wasn’t disappointed when she took to the stage for this incredible number. It’s not difficult to appreciate why this hit caused a worldwide sensation, selling over two million singles making it the biggest World Cup song ever released. And boy did the Shakira do it justice – belting it out with all her heart and soul. As Shakira chanted “Africa, Africa, Africa”, the crowd (us included) were bouncing up and down and going wild. The atmosphere was electric with the air filled with the sheer volume of clapping, cheering and singing. Watching her belly dancing with her two backing dancers, we just wanted to get up on the stage and join in. Not only is Shakira blessed with an ultra powerful voice, she also created a global phenomenon with her womanly hip-shaking moves. Her Middle Eastern heritage has been credited for her artistic take on belly dancing. Apparently Shakira once told an MTV reporter she learned how to belly dance by trying to flip a coin on her stomach – we don’t care how she learned, we’re just so in awe of her incredible dance moves – pure brilliance. No one could resist wriggling their hips to the Latin and Arabic beats – well really, how can you stop your hips from moving when you have a superstar setting such a fine example on the stage in front of your eyes! Cameras were flashing everywhere and with such an awesome show unfolding before us, it is hardly surprising that people hoped to capture the magic. I don’t think I was the only one left wanting more from the Latin superstar after she performed this uplifting anthem. SHAKIRA SHAKES UP YAS I SLAND ! Shakira is the second-most successful female Latin singer after Gloria Estefan with global sales of 70 million albums and having had the pleasure of watching her perform it’s easy to see why. It was a massive privilege to see this international superstar during our recent trip to Abu Dhabi as she electrified the stage at the Yas Arena with tracks like “Why Wait” and “Waka Waka” and to watch her perform her classics “Whenever, Whenever”, “She Wolf ” and “Hips Don’t Lie as well as other fantastic hits from her 9th studio album, ‘The Sun Comes Out’. 85 SIMPLY ABU DHABI