The Arab, Congolese, and Afro-Colombian roots of Shakira's Super Bowl halftime show

by Alex Bare February 3, 2020

My friends from Barranquilla screamed no fewer than three times over the course of Shakira’s Super Bowl halftime performance, each time louder than the last.

First, when the “Hips Don’t Lie” icon broke out with her bilingual Arabic-Spanish hit “Ojos así,” a second time when she brought in a mapale carnival dance, and a third time when the whole stage was alit with fast-paced champeta dancing, a popular rhythm in Caribbean Colombia as much as in Congo.

In her 8 minutes of stage presence, the Lebanese-Colombian superstar delivered a remarkably versatile performance of rock Latino, pop, Arab belly dance, mapale, salsa and champeta. The performance was quintessentially “Barranquillero.” Yet it was also Arab and Congolese—which in itself is part of the social fabric of Caribbean Colombia.

And that is precisely what many non-“costeño” (Caribbean Colombian) viewers missed.

In a region built on the backs of African slaves and home to several thousand Arab immigrants and their descendants, the syncretic nature of Barranquilla’s culture is not at all surprising.

More:
https://colombiareports.com/the-arab-congolese-and-afro-colombian-roots-of-shakiras-super-bowl-halftime-show/