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Shakira ties up with Jay-Z

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:51:05 GMT

Colombian superstar Shakira is putting her career in the hands of rapper Jay Z — she’s reportedly signed to the rap icon’s Roc Nation management company. The Hips Don’t Lie hitmaker recently inked a deal to join fellow Roc Nation signees Rihanna, rapper Wale and singers Santigold and Melanie Fiona at the firm, according to reports. Jay Z founded the company in 2008 in partnership with Live Nation bosses.

Shakira Signs Deal With Jay-Z's Roc Nation

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:40:26 GMT

Shakira is no longer under the management of Epic, XXL magazine reported. The "Hips Don't Lie" hitmaker has allegedly signed a contract with Roc Nation for management, joining the likes of Rihanna, Willow Smith, and Wale.

In the Roc Nation, Shakira will be under the same management with artists such as Melanie Fiona and J. Cole. The other musicians who also put their career in the company which was founded by Jay-Z and Kanye West are Santigold, Alexis Jordan, and Jay Electronica.

Earlier this month, Shakira was attacked by a sea lion while vacationing in Cape Town, South Africa. "Suddenly, one of them jumped out of the water so fast and impetuously that it got about one foot away from me, looked me in the eye, roared in fury and tried to bite me," she reported the accident on her Facebook page.

"Everyone there screamed, including me. I was paralyzed by fear and couldn't move, I just kept eye contact with it while my brother 'Super Tony' jumped over me and literally saved my life, taking me away from the beast," she continued. "We both got our hands and legs scratched by the rocks while trying to protect ourselves."

Shakira, Prince Royce Win Big At Premio Lo Nuestro Awards

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:48:50 GMT

MIAMI (AP) - With four awards each, Shakira and Prince Royce were the top winners on Thursday's Premio Lo Nuestro, although the Colombian star was not there during the evening, which was full of colorful performances but not both awards.

The Premio Lo Nuestro honors the most popular artists in Spanish music in 35 categories of music genres including tropical, regional Mexican, pop and urban. The public was responsible for choosing the winners through an online poll conducted between December 1-22, 2011.

Shakira, who was not present at the gala, received the awards for Entertainer of the Year, Pop Album of the Year for Rising Sun, Song of the Year for "Rabid," and Female Pop Artist.

Prince Royce, meanwhile, was honored for Collaboration of the Year - along with Daddy Yankee - for the tropical song "Love That We Lost," and also won for Tropical Male Artist, and Tropical Contemporary Artist.

Pitbull took home the award for Urban Album Armando as well as Urban Artist of the Year.

Maná also won two awards - Best Rock Artist and Best Rock Album of the Year for Drama and Light - as did Jenni Rivera, winning for Best Ranchera Artist and Best Female Regional Mexican Artist.

The Spanish star Enrique Iglesias received the honor of Best Pop Artist, and Mexican band Camila won for Best Pop Group or Duo.

The ceremony, broadcast live on Univision and hosted by Mexican actors Eduardo Santamarina Jacqueline and Bracamontes, was held at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. Many of the prizes were not announced at the gala but in a press release issued by event organizers.

"Thank God and thanks to the public... thank you very much to my grandmother, my aunt, my mom, everybody out there that helped me too," Pitbull said while accepting the award for his album, the first that was delivered at the ceremony.

"This is for Daddy Yankee, this is for Don Omar, this is for Wisin y Yandel... for all the artists who have opened doors," he said while accepting his second trophy. Daddy Yankee opened the show with a lively act, singing his hit "Lovumba (Prestige)" accompanied by dancers under neon lights, lasers and huge 3D screens.

Singers such as Luis Fonsi, Prince Royce, Reik and Romeo Santos, among others, took the opportunity to debut new songs. One of the best performances was by Pitbull and Chris Brown, performing their hit "International Love." The stage was transformed into an airport with luggage at customs and dancers clad as hostesses wearing red bodices and Playboy bunny ears. Brown dressed in white as a pilot.

In another highlight of the ceremony, Enrique Iglesias presented the Special Award for Lifetime Achievement to Chilean television entertainer Mario Kreutzberger, known as Don Francisco, who this year celebrates 50 years with his show "Sabado Gigante."

"Sabado Gigante is the first program I did in my career and this award is for Don Francisco," Iglesias said in presenting "Don Mario."Don Francisco, meanwhile, recalled that October 7, 1995 was the first time Iglesias came to his program, and thanked all the artists who have accompanied him these 50 years.

"Many of us have fought week after week to give our audience the best," he said amid loud applause. "Thanks to you, the public, for these 50 years." The king of bachata, Romeo Santos, sang "My Santa" on a stage full of candles, accompanied by Siudy Garrido and flamenco dancers and guitarist Rayito.

Shakira tweets about sea lion attack in Cape Town

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:21:34 GMT

"I thought to myself how cute they were so I decided to get a bit closer than all of the other tourists and went down to a rock trying to pet them, doing a baby talk while taking pictures," she said on the social networking site, in an account written after the Sunday incident.

"Suddenly, one of them jumped out of the water so fast and impetuously that it got about one foot (20 centimetres) away from me, looked me in the eye, roared in fury and tried to bite me. Everyone there screamed, including me. I was paralysed by fear and couldn't move."

The singer, whose "Waka Waka" was the official song of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, said her brother, "Super Tony", saved her by jumping over her and hauling her out of the sea lion's reach. She said she and her brother both scratched themselves on the rocks while trying to protect themselves, and posted a picture of a small scrape on her hand. Shakira said she thought the animal had mistaken her Blackberry phone for a fish and gone after it.

The incident was not the singer's only run-in with wildlife during the trip. She also said on Twitter that a baboon had jumped onto her car the day after the sea lion attack. "Now I'm off to see some penguins! I hope they are a bit more friendly," she wrote.

Shakira rescued from angry sea lion

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:44:56 GMT

Grammy Award-winning pop star Shakira had to be rescued from a roaring sea mammal Sunday when she ventured too close to a raft of sea lions and a harem of seals in Cape Town, South Africa. "I thought to myself how cute they were," Shakira, 35, wrote on her Facebook page that day, beneath several photos of the aquatic animals, "so I decided to get a bit closer than all of the other tourists and went down to a rock trying to pet them doing a baby talk while taking pictures. . . . Suddenly, one of them jumped out of the water so fast and impetuously that it got about one foot away from me, looked me in the eye, roared in fury and tried to bite me. Everyone there screamed, including me."

The Colombian singer wrote that she "was paralyzed by fear and couldn't move.""I just kept eye contact with it while my brother 'Super Tony' jumped over me and literally saved my life, taking me away from the beast. We both got our hands and legs scratched by the rocks while trying to protect ourselves."

It was unclear which of her two half-brothers with similar names she was referring to: Tonino or Antonio. A publicist with her longtime label, Epic Records, said he was unsure. While sea lion attacks on humans are rare, the animals -- the males can weigh 440 to 2,200 pounds, depending on the species -- can be territorial. Shakira theorized that the sea lion "confused the shiny reflection of the BlackBerry I was taking these pics with, with some sort of fish. It probably thought I was teasing it with food and then taking it away from it."

Although she posted a photo of her left hand with a cut on it, she remained good-humored about the ordeal. "Wow!" she wrote. "It's funny that only half an hour before I was complaining to my guide Andrew that I never get to see wild animals up close on adventurous trips. Oh well, I can't say that anymore! Now I'm off to see some penguins! I hope they are a bit more friendly!"

From Shakira to puppies, candidates show off their lighter sides

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:51:55 GMT

Last year, it was Brooklyn Stephens and a horse. The year before, it was Nash Keune and a narwhal castle. And now, in a much tamer election season, one candidate has made a Youtube splash while another lured votes with a puppy in the Pit.

All three candidates this year are distinct in their public images. Bow ties, tree hugging and your casual vest are all depicted on campaign websites. But images featured on websites also range from the Old Well to the steps in front of Wilson to every other landmark that people who don’t go here associate with UNC.

Laughing, smiling and jumping up in the air are also featured, as public images focus on a joy that few students still feel after being accosted for the ninth time for their signature. Candidate Will Leimenstoll has crafted a clever hashtag that answers the question on everyone’s minds: can a team charm the student body with a Pit performance of the cha-cha slide?
#TogetherWeWill

Meanwhile, Tim Longest, avoiding the pun route (“Longest lasting,” anyone?), dropped a YouTube single featuring authentic ethnic dance to Shakira’s “Waka Waka,” a video that was notably snubbed at Sunday’s Grammys. Thanks, Adele. It’s not enough to “trust him to represent students.”“He has great hair,” too. And in a recent twist, Calvin Lewis Jr. took the time to cradle and stroke a yellow lab puppy in front of Lenoir Dining Hall until hearts melted.

Shakira Attacked By Sea Lion, Blames Blackberry

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:38:32 GMT

Shakira was almost taken out by one “rabiosa” sea lion. The Colombian superstar singer gave her side of the close encounter (including photos) in a Facebook and Twitter post, entitled “Special Report: Attacked by a Sea Lion.” In it, Shakira said she was “paralyzed by fear” after “the beast” jumped out of the water and landed right next to her.

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“It got about a foot away from me, looked me in the eye, roared in fury and tried to bite me,” Shakira wrote in her account of the events. “Everyone there screamed, including me.”Shakira, who is on vacation, was not bitten by the sea lion thanks to her brother.

“My brother Super Tony jumped over me and literally saved my life,” she wrote. Both her and her brother received scratches from rocks in their escape from the sea creature. As for the reason why she was attacked?

Shakira believes “the beast” confused the shiny reflection of her blackberry with some sort of fish. “It probably thought I was teasing it with food and then taking it away from it,” she said. “Now, I’m off to see some penguins! I hope they are a bit more friendly!”

Shakira Eyes Starring Role In Upcoming Bollywood Movie

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:40:14 GMT

After all the hip shaking and belly dancing, it only makes sense that Shakira is now considering Bollywood. According to reports by The Daily Record, the Colombian pop star could make her acting debut in an upcoming Bollywood film. The movie, titled "Desire," will be directed by Bangladeshi director Enamul Karim Nirjhar, who received a National Nomination from Bangladesh for the 81st Academy Awards in the category of best foreign film for his movie, "Aha!" A large part of the movie is set to be filmed in Scotland.

Shakira is still in negotiations with movie executives to sing in the movie's soundtrack as well as to act in the role of "Desire," according to The Daily Record. Pending the negotiations, Shakira is expected to record the soundtrack with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Shakira is no stranger to Bollywood.
In the 2006 MTV Video Awards, Shakira added some Bollywood moves-- and her own version of traditional Indian attire -- to a live performance of her hit song, "Hips Don't Lie." At the time, she expressed interest in doing a Bollywood-style dance video with film director Farah Khan, who worked with her on the performance, according to BBC News.

Other Latin Americans have previously worked in Bollywood films. Brazilian super model Giselle Monteiro, for instance, played the leading role of Harleen Kaur in the 2009 Bollywood film, "Love Aaj Kal." Mexican actress Barbara Mori had a lead role in the movie "Kites" alongside Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan. The film was a love story between a Mexican beauty and an Indian man.
Now it appears the Latin American star who popularized belly dancing is set to make her mark in Bollywood.

Shakira ready to sign up for Bollywood epic set to film in Scotland

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:48:31 GMT

SUPERSTAR Shakira is ready to head to Scotland to appear in a Bollywood movie. The Hips Don’t Lie singer is in talks with film bosses about a lead role in forthcoming Indian blockbuster Desire. It will be directed by Oscar-nominated Enamul Karim Nirjhar, who will shoot a large chunk of the movie in Scotland.

Colombian Shakira is in negotiations to sing on the film’s soundtrack and on the verge of agreeing to play an acting role. If she signs up, the star will jet into Scotland in April with the rest of the crew. Bangladeshi director Nirjhar said: “The film is at a very early stage but, yes, we are coming to Scotland to film. “Shakira has been talking to our musical director Debajyoti Mishra.“We hope it will be interesting.” The movie, which will also be shot in Dover and London, is a musical about how desire plays havoc with people’s lives.

It is understood Shakira has been asked to play the role of Desire. Mishra said the singer was impressed with the soundtracks of previous films he had worked on with Nirjhar. Shakira is expected to start recording the soundtrack with the London Philharmonic Orchestra next month. Mishra said: “Before giving her go-ahead, Shakira had heard the soundtracks of Raincoat and Aha. “She was particularly impressed – that’s what she said on the phone on the second day of coming on board.”

Shakira has only been in Scotland once – when she put on a spectacular show at Glasgow’s SECC in December 2010. The star wowed fans with her hits including Whenever, Wherever and Waka Waka – the official song of the 2010 World Cup.

The singer is a huge fan of Bollywood. In 2006, she asked Indian choreographer Farah Khan to put together a dance for her. She performed it to Hips Don’t Lie at the MTV Video Awards wearing traditional Indian clothing. She has been linked to a number of Bollywood movies, including Kali The Warrior Goddess and Om Shanti Om – but has yet to star in one. Bollywood recently announced Scotland as its No1 location worldwide. Hit movie Mausam was filmed in Edinburgh last year.

Shakira receives French honour

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:32:18 GMT

Singer Shakira has become the first Colombian to be honoured with France's Chevalier De L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres medal. The 34-year-old received the award from the French Minister of Culture Frederic Mitterrand in Cannes Saturday.

"I am so humbled to receive this honour in a country like France that has shared an important cultural legacy with the rest of the world," Shakira posted on her official site. The medal recognises significant contributions to the arts and literature and other recipients of the awards are T.S. Eliot, George Clooney and Clint Eastwood.