21-foot Shakira statue towers over singer’s hometown in Colombia

Barranquilla is paying tribute to one of its most famous residents, truthful hips and all.

On Tuesday, the Colombian city unveiled a massive 21-foot-tall bronze statue of Shakira, who was born and raised there. The piece shows the singer swiveling her hips in a position made iconic by her “Hips Don’t Lie” music video.

Shakira’s parents attended the unveiling ceremony alongside Jaime Pumarejo, the mayor of Barranquilla.

The statue was designed by sculptor Yino Márques with help from students and graduates of the District School of Arts.

Shakira shared photos of her parents in front of the statue on Tuesday, writing, “It makes me happy to share this with my parents and especially my mother on her birthday.” She also praised the statue’s dedication, saying that its kind words are “a lot for my little heart.” 

“A heart that composes, hips that don’t lie, an unmatched talent, a voice that moves masses and bare feet that march for the good of childhood and humanity,” the dedication says in Spanish. The mention of “bare feet” is a reference to the Fundación Pies Descalzos, the singer’s foundation that focuses on early childhood education, and also shares a name with Shakira’s third album. “The aluminum end of her skirt symbolizes the waves of the sea and the river. Her raised arms and vertically clasped hands represent the reach of transcendence,” the description reads.

The statue isn’t the first monument to Shakira in Barranquilla: in 2006, another sculptor, Dieter Patt, crafted a tribute to the singer that stands 16 feet tall and weighs six tons, though its resemblance to the singer is a little less striking than Márques’ new piece.

By Wesley Stenzel