She's already big in Latin America, but Shakira's not willing to stop there. On her list of things to do: finish her new album, marry the son of the president of Argentina, and become as big as Madonna.
The road to hugeness, though, can be tiring. On a Sunday morning, Shakira is groggy after a long night in a New York recording studio, where she's working on the CD that's supposed to launch her superstardom. Expected to be released in the fall of 2001, the still-untitled CD features Shakira's first English-language songs. She has spent the past couple of years furiously working to master the language that will bring her crossover success. The new lyrics that she penned especially for this album prove she has been doing her homework: She wrote the whole thing herself. She has also decided to produce it.
Shakira is one of those rare performers who has it all: the right looks, the right moves, the right voice, the right manager, even the right love life. Her relationship with Antonio de la Rúa, the son of the president of Argentina, has the Latin gossip columnists in a perpetual lather. The only thing that remains to be seen is whether Shakira's plan to take over the world will succeed.
Latina: Well, here it is. You're about to become huge, really huge. Feeling any pressure?
Shakira: I'm always trying to escape from the pressure of expectation. But the biggest pressure is from the people who want this record to be done in 15 days! That kind of pressure can turn into an aggression against your work. But I'm a perfectionist without remedy. I'm not making detergent here — I'm making music. You can't put a knife to the neck of sensibility.
L: You're already a big star all over the Latin world. Why is making it in the United States such a big deal if you're already huge in a bunch of other places?
S: I want my music to transcend all the barriers. The spirit of conquest is a trait that has survived in human beings from the beginning. I want it for the same reason the Spaniards wanted to come to America. You have to cross the oceans. To be able to sink my Colombian flag in this land, that is a motivation.
L: With incredible successes, there are usually sacrifices. What are you willing to give up to have that kind of superstardom?
S: The most essential things are the hardest to give up, like just being able to sit and drink a cup of coffee without running. I imagine it's like Queen Elizabeth [I]; to be respected and to be able to govern, she had to chop off a couple of heads. That's the part about ambition that scares me the most, making some difficult decisions. But, thank God, I've never had to chop off any heads. The one thing I'm not willing to sacrifice is love. Or the pleasure of being home relaxing.
Lydia Martin is an entertainment writer for The Miami Herald.
To read the rest of the Shakira interview please check out the July 2001 issue of Latina Magazine.
