WATCH: Shakira Is Moved to Tears by Carlos Vives’ Homage to Her
Our favorite Colombian Aquarius and indisputable icon of Latine culture, Shakira celebrated her 45th birthday with a surprise from fellow Colombian treasure Carlos Vives. Her “La Bicicleta” partner surprised her by paying tribute to her in his latest music video for the electrifying “Currambera” — and filming her reaction to it.
A few days before dropping the song, Vives took to Twitter to explain the significance of the song and music video. “CURRAMBERA is an homage to Shak and through her, the barranquillera women, called Curramberas,” he wrote. The singer explained he was dropping it on Shakira’s birthday, Feb. 2, as her gift.
Shakira and Vives came together over a video call to record her live reaction to the “Currambera” music video. Shakira, visibly moved, is seen smiling and singing along to the song. However, her emotions began to overtake her when she spotted a familiar face in the video: her father. He flashes on screen, sitting in their home in Barranquilla and clad in his signature black sunglasses. Immediately, Shakira breaks down crying, covering her face to hide her tears.
Shakira and Vives took to Instagram to show Shakira’s reaction to the surprise. In the video, Shakira shared her thoughts on the video, saying: “The hallways of my school, the spots where I grew up and dreamed, to see my father there, you killed me! It’s a tribute to him as well, on top of everything to see the women of my country, I feel so represented in every single one of them. It’s not that I represent them, they also represent me, and I am so proud to be a Colombian woman, and who we are”
One eagle-eyed fan caught the significance of Shakira’s dad’s glasses in the video, which could be the reason for Shakira (and our) tears.
“Currambera” begins in the port of Barranquilla, where Shakira grew up. Throughout the video, we see Vives singing amongst the boats in the port, with the video itself showcasing the rich colors and traditions of Barranquilla, including the food, Shakira’s old school, and the women who make up the city. The actress featured also looks similar to Shakira, and some of the scenes are reminiscent of her “Hips Don’t Lie” music video.
“Carlos, this is the best gift you could have given me. You’re not just a singer, you’re a poet, a folk artist, an anthropologist, a musicologist. Someone who rescues our country’s culture, our values and principles. You’re our national icon, and that you’ve given me this, it is, for me, one of the greatest honors of my career and my personal life,” she told Vives on the call.
See if you can catch all of the Shakira references in the video, and join us in crying over this interaction for the 1,000th time. Watch the “Currambera” video below.
