Shakira's Anniversary

Oh. My. God. It’s been DECADES. And this song has aged like fine wine! Shakira, questioning social and societal norms since forever. And for that and more, love her!

You know what else I’m grateful for these days? Being able to remember stuff. This is taking me back to when I was a kid, singing my lungs out, jumping around to this song, while attempting to keep up with the lyrics and checking how much I managed to do so. (If I recall correctly, I couldn't get a hold of the CD, so it was a cassette I had to patiently rewind or fast-forward to get to the parts I was into and/or play the whole thing without skipping. If anything, I'll take that as a testament to being a true fan!)

It is taking me back to my grandmother’s house - specifically to the living room she had, where she kept antiques and artworks she cherished (we play-pretended it was haunted), and the big family dinners, with relatives and their +1s coming from different countries for it, were held. I’d indulge in music and more there any day of the year, enjoying the space and the atmosphere. And I’m so thankful to be able to relive this, even if only in little bits.

It’s no news that many Latin Americans fell in love with and remember Shakira for her earlier work. I mean, damn, talk about artsy. But fret not, we love her later stuff, too! That woman is a genius, whenever and wherever she goes… 🤭