Shakira's Colombian hometown unveils 21ft tall bronze statue to honour her iconic dance move

Latin megastar Shakira was immortalised in her hometown in Barranquilla, Colombia after the authorities installed a giant bronze statue of the multiple Grammy award-winning singer.  On Tuesday, the city's Mayor Jaime Pumarejo unveiled the 21.3ft tall sculpture which stands tall at a park along the banks of the Magdalena River. The Hips Don’t Lie singer's parents were present during the inauguration ceremony, The Guardian reported. On Wednesday, the singer shared a video of the giant statue and expressed gratitude towards the Colombian authorities. 

“I'm very excited about this tribute to a Colombian woman and the Barranquilleras inside and outside my land!” Shakira wrote on Instagram. In a separate post, she shared an image of her parents posing next to the bronze sculpture. “It makes me happy to share this with my parents and especially my mother on her birthday,” the Latin singer captioned the image. “Oh and this dedication. This is too much for my little heart,” she exclaimed. The giant bronze statue was created by an artist named Yino Marquez. It shows the long, curly-haired singer swaying her hips with her hands clasped above her head, one of the most prominent dance moves in her famous Hips Don't Lie video.

A statue with a beautiful message

The plaque gracing the base of the sculpture also carries a beautiful message. "A heart that composes, hips that do not lie, an unmatched talent, a voice that moves masses and feet that march for the good of children and humanity," the message reads. The poignant lines were written in reference to her charity work through a foundation called "Pies descalzos" — Spanish for "bare feet". The foundation promotes early childhood development. Shakira went on to share gratitude towards the artist in her post on X, formally known as Twitter. “Thanks to the sculptor Yino Márquez and the students of the district art school for this example of the enormous artistic talent of the people of my land,” she wrote on X. 

While unveiling the statue, Mayor Pumarejo said the sculpture "shows millions of girls that they can ... pursue their dreams and any of them can achieve what they want," adding that he used to see Shakira sing at local children's concerts. The singer who swept up three Latin Grammys in the year 2023, was also the most searched musician this year,  according to Google's latest year-in-review.