“It makes me so happy”: Giant Shakira sculpture unveiled

She is 6.5 meters high, made of bronze and performs her belly dance: a sculpture in honor of Colombian pop singer Shakira has been unveiled in her hometown of Barranquilla.

“A heart that composes, hips that do not lie, a talent like no other, a voice that moves the masses and feet that march for the good of children and humanity,” wrote the city’s mayor, Jaime Pumarejo, on Platform .for the presentation of the statue on Tuesday.

Among those present were the singer’s parents. “It makes me so happy to share this with my parents and especially my mother on her birthday,” the singer wrote on Instagram.

The Colombian (“Waka Waka”, “Hips Don’t Lie”) thanked the sculptor and the art school students who participated in its creation “for this sign of the enormous artistic talent of the people of my country.”

The 46-year-old had recently experienced several setbacks in her personal life. After her divorce from football star Gerard Piqué last year, a tax evasion case was filed against her in Spain. Shortly before the trial began, she reached an out-of-court settlement, which allowed her to escape the prison sentence of eight years and two months demanded by the public prosecutor.

Professionally, however, the woman from the Caribbean city still remains very successful. In November she was honored with three Latin Grammy Awards in Seville. Since her divorce from Piqué, she lives with her two sons in Miami, Florida. (sda/dpa)