The singer Shakira was sculpted into a 21.3 ft bronze statue and was displayed in her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia.
The giant statue posed her trademark hip swivel, which began when she was hip-shaking dancing on the table in a Lebanese restaurant at the age of four.
Giant Shakira Statue Displayed in Colombia
View of a statue of Colombian singer Shakira at the Malecon in Barranquilla, Colombia, on December 26, 2023. Colombian superstar Shakira's Caribbean home city of Barranquilla unveiled a 6.5-meter (21.3-foot) hip-swaying statue in her honor on Tuesday.
The 'Hips Don't Lie' singer posted photos and video of the statue on her Instagram. She wrote, "Estoy muy emocionada por este homenaje a la mujer Colombiana y a las Barranquilleras dentro y fuera de mi tierra!" (I am very excited for this tribute to the Colombian woman and the Barranquilleras inside and outside my land!)
Shakira posted another photo of her parents, William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado, standing in front of the giant statue. She captioned that the epic figure was too much for her little heart.
Although the statue was enormous, it may not be the biggest pop icon ever built. The biggest statue belongs to Forever Marilyn, a 26-foot memorial to the movie star Marilyn Monroe, currently located outside the travel agency in Palm Springs, California.
Some locals took issue with this objectification, and Louis Grachos, the Palm Springs Art Museum director at the time, complained to the Art Newspaper. He claimed that it was sexually charged and disrespectful as the 26-foot-tall Marilyn Monroe showed her entire backside and underwear exposed.
Shakira's statue has not yet been the target of any such criticism. She expressed her gratitude to sculptor Yino Márquez and his students for their enormous artistic talent in making the gigantic bronze statue.
The singer gained recognition in Latin America earlier this year after releasing the song 'El Jefe' about her former partner, ex-footballer Gerard Piqué. She released a diss track after knowing Piqué cheated on her.
Read Also: Australia's Christmas Storm Death Toll Rises to 6, With 3 Still Missing in Queensland
Shakira's Tax Fraud Case
In November, Shakira was involved in a tax fraud case. She settled the case against her in Spain by paying a $8.3 million fine to avoid a trial in Barcelona over charges after she failed to pay $16.1 million in Spanish income tax in 2012 and 2014.
During the trial's initial hearing, the judge stated that she also consented to a supplementary fine of $487,000 to avoid a three-year sentence.
Shakira released a statement and said that her decision to reach a deal responds to personal, emotional, and sentimental reasons unrelated to legal reasons. She added that she was ready to defend her innocence but decided to prioritize her career and children.
She has reached the conclusion that winning is not a victory if the price is that they rob you of so many years of your life.
Related Article: Spain Files Tax Evasion Charges vs. Shakira, Claims Singer Owes $7.1 Million
