08 November,2011 06:42 AM IST | | Promita Mukherjee
The Colombian sensation will reportedly perform at a private function in the NCR next week
From today, she will be the 2,354th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But she will definitely be the first international star with arguably the best derriere in the business to touch down at the Capital.
Not just another singer: From 'Waka Waka', the World Cup anthem, to
her appointment to President Barack Obama's Advisory Commission on
Educational Excellence for Hispanics, Shakira has many feathers in her
cap. File pic
It seems to be raining 'stars' in the Capital. The latest to come visiting, after Lady Gaga, Metallica and Formula One drivers, will be Latina beauty Shakira. According to sources, the Colombian singer-who became a household name post her number Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), which was the official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup-will perform at a private function at DLF Golf Course in Gurgaon next week.
Happy birthday! Shakira
DLF chairman KP Singh. File pics
Book release
"She will perform as part of the week-long gala to celebrate the birthday of KP Singh, Chairman, DLF group," sources told MiD DAY. "Shakira will be here on November 14. The celebrations will kick-off in Jaipur with a performance by Adnan Sami. Singh will also release a book written by him at DLF Promenade Mall," sources said. The Latin-American sensation, who began writing songs at the age of eight and learnt English by studying the works of the likes of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Walt Whitman, has sold over 60 million albums so far.
Apart from writing songs, she has also collaborated with artistes such as Beyonce and Alejandro Sanz. Shakira's performance was the highlight of the 2009 concert that celebrated US President Barack Obama's inauguration.
"I know she is coming but I don't know whether I will be able to catch her performance," said a city celebrity on the condition of anonymity. Our desi stars, including Delhi boys Shah Rukh Khan and Arjun Rampal are also expected to fly down for the celebrations.u00a0
Shakira's Waka Waka sold over two million singles and became the most popular World Cup song so far. The official video received more than 200 million hits on YouTube, thus becoming the fourth-most watched video of all times.u00a0
Her debut album, Magia, was released when she was only 13. Laundry Service (that featured the popular tracks Whenever Wherever and Underneath Your Clothes) was her first album in English. The singer is also known for her philanthropic work and has set up the Pies Descalzos (Barefoot) Foundation, which provides education and food to over 6,000 poor children in Colombia, Haiti and South Africa. "Every child has a talent to be developed and the potential to become a productive member of society," Shakira had said.u00a0
u00a0
The singer's visit is being organised by an event management company that has an office in Okhla. Reportedly, Singh's birthday is in August, but sources claim he has decided to celebrate it only now. However, sources from DLF denied any such celebrations. In the meantime, Delhi can wait with bated breath.u00a0
Daksh Oberoi
I personally think Delhi is not yet mature about rock concerts. Perhaps the only reason why they either get postponed or cancelled.
Charisma Aggarwal
Yes we are ill equipped to handle concerts of international artistes. There is nothing wrong with the infrastructure. We are not a small town. We do not have the mentality in terms of audience and organisers. Why do we need to carry drugs or make the concert venue dirty for that matter?
Nida Mahmood
Private parties are okay. We all know what happened during the Metallica concert. On the other hand, the Lady Gaga performance went on smoothly. We lack professionalism. There have been so many cases where things haven't been organised well because of lack of professionalism.
Ramola Bachchan
Delhi is well-equipped to handle concerts. But the system needs to be improved. There are a lot of obstacles in terms of permissions and clearances. It's a shame.
