Danced with Shakira

What a night and what a show! I’m still recuperating from last night’s concert.

After an adventurous journey getting there we finally got to OAKA stadium, only a few minutes after the opening of the gates. To my surprise, the arena was already getting crowded as early as 4 hours prior to the concert. Luckily, we were able to find a good spot very close to the stage with the only inconvenient being that we were held captive by the raging fans that showed no mercy whatsoever and were capable of even walking on us just to get closer. Preserving our territory also meant being deprived of water or other refreshments, therefore a total dehydration until the end of the concert.

The first opening act was singer debutant Ralia Christidou (a Fame Story contestant and runner up) who did a nice job warming up the crowd with her new songs, considering that this must have been her first big venue appearance. Ralia was followed by C-Real, another respectable Greek band, who added a very pleasant prelude to the main act with both their English and Greek songs. Their beautiful female lead singer proved that her powerful voice can really come across just as well live on stage as it does in the studio. All in all, an excellent stage appearance for C-Real.

It was now time for the main act. Many technicians on stage making the final stage setup and testing spotlights.. until finally the lights dim, the crowd cheers like crazy and the band takes the stage.

An electrifying crowd was literally shaking the Olympic stadium.

Music starts and at last.. Shakira on stage.

Simply dressed, as in something she’d wear to go jogging with, she waves at the crowd and starts her singing. The show began with her first songs which were Spanish ballads of the early 90’s (Yes she has a few albums out there for quite some time now). Mid time and after having introduced her band members one by one in the all classical way, she starts with her up-tempo hits. The crowd is now dancing along and so are we whether we like it or not 

No change of outfits so far, Shakira is still in her jogging trousers and her working out top t-shirt. A short interlude now, with fragments of the singer jazz-ballet dancing on videowalls and here she is, back on stage, with her first costume change. Shakira has now been transformed into a bellydancer, probably showing her half mid-eastern roots. Nothing to say about her synchronized moves or the way she splits her spine (if she actually has one) while she performs Ojos Asi. The woman does some amazing moves in every dance routine. In “wherever, whenever” she leaves the stage and doesn’t go “wherever” but surprisingly appears right in front of us. She is dancing in the crowd and yes only 1 meter away from us. I imagined there must have been a reason for that corridor right next to us but never guessed she would actually come there. Needless to mention how were crushed against the corridor by the ravaging fans that wanted to get a glimpse of the exotic singer. They were uncontrollable but who blames them. They were there for her and she was right there for them. Luckily it only lasted a few moments before she took to the stage again (see video). Shakira ended her show with what I’d call her most representative song ever because in my opinion, her “hips are speaking the truth”.

Shakira’s show has now ended with colorful paper fireworks flooding the arena. I’m glad this concert went by a “less is more” concept rather than being drowned with special effects. No extra dancers, no fires on stage, no extravagant costumes, nothing that could capture our attention more than our focusing on the singer and her music. More videos and pictures will be posted soon (hopefully better quality)