nicknack

I don't think she's selling herself as anything, she dances with the songs that people generally dance to. There are just as many singles where she isn't shaking her hips but they seem to be ignored... just look at Illegal, Don't Bother and The One.... I just don't think the English speaking public can reconcile all her differences. Not like Latin America where "No" could easily follow "La Tortura" even though they are not in the same genre.

It is possible for people to be multi faceted.

Aisha Azar

Dear Nicknack,
Sorry but if you do some of the more outrageous things that Shakira and some of the other entertainers do, then you get known for those outrageous things, not for the quality of your voice. She has total control over what she chooses to put before the public. I have seen her in many videos and on talk shows. What I remember the most is that video of her sexing around in the mud. That was her choice and has nothing to do with anything except the way she is choosing to sell herself. Please do not underestimate the intelligence of her audiences by saying that she is "too multifaceted" for them. The American public is not as shallow as everyone thinks.
Regards,
A'isha

nicknack

I didn't mention the American Public, I said English speaking public, what I meant by that is the public that don't like or know anything outside their frame of reference (some people call them members of the Tory party). These are not the people who here a song they like and go on to explore Donde Estan Los Ladrones, and Pies Descalzos. And I wouldn't call crawling in the mud "sexing" ones self, she wasn't exactly naked, touching herself or doing anything that dancers don't do on stage. Even my dirty mind that constantly lives in the gutter didn't see anything sexual about playing in the mud (and what with the ocean, mountains, and horses, getting down to the nice muddy earth doesn't seem that unusual). While I do admit that Suerte was used as a marketing tool, I wouldn't say that Shakira has marketed herself as a "hip shaker", just look at the first single from volume 2, and how the album was recieved before HDL was recorded.

And what outrageous things has Shakira done lately?

Aisha Azar

Dear Nicknack,
Well, if you REALLY can't see the sexual significance of crawling around in the mud in the way that Shakira was doing it, then I am not sure what to say. I did not say she was masturbating, which is what your term "sexing onself" brings to mind. There is a huge difference between that and "sexing around". And, yeah,that is pretty outrageous behavior for the camera unless you happen to be a mud wrestler!! One can "sex around" without being overt about it... some messages are much subtler than being naked or touching onself. Americans are the English speaking public for the most part also. It would appear that you are putting a pretty stiff judgement on people that don't care if Shakira sings, what she does, not interested in learning Spanish, etc. They maybe feel the same way about Julio Iglasius or Hakim or Luciano Pavaroti or Odetta, Does not make them narrow minded, merely people who have different tastes than your own.
Get real and admit that she uses sex as a marketing tool. This is not a judgement, just an observation.
Regards,
A'isha

nicknack

I'm not judging anyone, I was just trying to point out that there are some people who comment on the artist knowing nothing of their background, and not even wanting to hear anything that contradicts the opion they've already formed (which is what annoys me). And everyone uses sex as a marketing tool it's the world we live in. But considering what I see on a daily basis, with advertisments, much more overt performers, and the women on the street (or in the clubs), I just don't see what she does as sexual, sure it can be sexy, but to me it doesn't look like an invitation to sex. This is just my perspective living where I do, what Shakira does in the Suerte video looks innocent compared to the mating rituals I see on a nightly basis.

I wasn't commenting on the US, even though I have family there, I don't have enough experience of the land of the peanut butter m&m to make an accurate observation. When I speak, my frame of reference is this country (and Tel Aviv) that's about it.

Guess this goes to show just how much our surroundings influence how we think.

__________________
Cause I'm not here to let you down. But the costume makes the clown.

Lydia dubai

OOPS i geuss not all video clips from Shakira are making it to the middle east...i have never seen her in the mud!! i geuss what is reaching her is a bit differant...have a nice day Lydia

Moon

Hi Lydia, I think they're talking about this clip:

Aisha Azar

Dear Lydia,
Yeah, nothing at all sexual in content going on there, hunh?
Regards,
A'isha

Moon

OOps, I didn't mean to offend anyone.
I mean, for example in this clip, I don't like her dancing at all, but with electrocuted style I mean what she does from 2.47 till 3.17. Maybe it's especially that crazy "ooooh I'm so sexy"-look on her face that annoys me. I just really don't like her dancing, sorry.

sedoniaraqs

Gwinity, your post isn't an exploding can of worms; to be that it would have to actually relate in some way to what is being discussed here.

We are talking about dance genres and what defines them; not whether only persons of X experience level can call themselves a belly dancer. Perhaps you made an irrational connection to other, unrelated events in your life; people do this all the time. Back up and reread what is being written here.

A'isha and many of us here consider belly dancing to be a dance with a particular cultural context in addition to a particular movement vocabulary and musicality. I really like A'isha's idea that dance is more than the sum of its movements.

Shakira may actually BE a belly dancer -- as I have no idea how or what she dances off camera from her music videos. However, she isn't belly dancing in her music videos, although she does execute (very nicely sometimes) some movements that are also used in belly dance.

Sedonia