Shakira's new message
July 3, 2008
“Este es un día histórico para todos nosotros, para esta Patria nuestra que ha sufrido tanto, pero que hoy llora de emoción y de alegría uniéndonos en un inmenso abrazo. Colombia hoy se pone de pie y mira con esperanza el futuro de paz que se acerca.
“Ingrid, es el símbolo del sufrimiento de todos aquellos cuya libertad les ha sido robada, junto a sus compañeros de rescate eran nuestras propias libertades perdidas. Lo son también quienes todavía padecen en la selva el cautiverio de los violentos que le deben al país y a su conciencia deponer las armas.
“Con esta victoria empezamos a recuperar nuestra propia libertad que será plena cuando termine el drama de la violencia y todos, absolutamente todos sean libres, callen las armas y la paz venza a la guerra. La República lo ha logrado en este día y ha renovado nuestra fe en la democracia, en nuestras instituciones, en nuestras propias fuerzas.
“Que orgullo el de ser Colombianos!
Robin Hood Raises $56.5 Million as Shakira, Crow Sing
May 28, 2008
The Robin Hood Foundation's annual gala last night in New York raised $56.5 million, a drop of more than $15 million from the 2007 event as subprime mortgage losses and job reductions reverberated at Wall Street's biggest charity event.
About 3,700 executives from Wall Street banks, hedge funds and private-equity companies were moved away from the problems of Bear Stearns Cos. and the credit crunch with serenades by Shakira, John Legend and Sheryl Crow.
With 2007's gala raising $72 million, last night's take represents about a 21.5 percent decline.
``I'm pleased and surprised that the total raised was as high as it was because I thought it would have been lower,'' John Whitehead, the former co-chairman of Goldman Sachs & Co. and a philanthropist, said in a phone interview today. ``It still shows a fabulous generosity in the Wall Street community at a time when business is much worse than it was a year ago.''
The dip in donations came amid global economic weakening as financial companies around the world cut more than 83,000 jobs since last July. Banks and brokerages, which employ many of Robin Hood's donors, have taken $383 billion in write downs and credit losses.
The festivities at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center attracted Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. co-founder Henry Kravis and Pequot Capital Management Inc. Chairman Arthur Samberg.
David Saltzman, Robin Hood's executive director, said in an interview at the Javits Center that the estimated total could be higher after all donations are counted as early as today. He said the evening's tally, at a time that banks are laying off staff, still showed an ``extraordinary'' display of generosity.
Tough Times
``Despite what's going on in the economy, people who are in a position to help others step up, and during tough times they step up even more,'' Saltzman said.
High finance mixed with the world of entertainment as Conan O'Brien of NBC's ``Late Night'' program hosted the event. Celebrities in attendance included the rapper Jay-Z, Rush Communications Chairman Russell Simmons and former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw.
Musician David Byrne, who attended the gala with his girlfriend Cindy Sherman, said the gala bustling with entertainment and finance-industry stars was ``quite a scene.''
``The bids are probably going to be outside of my tax bracket,'' Byrne said in an interview about the event's auction while waiting outside the Javits Center.
Hip-Twitching
After a dinner of filet of beef, grilled chicken and bow-tie pasta, the attendees listened to live music performed by Shakira, the hip-twitching Colombian pop singer, and rock star Crow, who made a surprise appearance and took the stage for a rendition of ``Lean on Me.'' daveloveshaki.gif
The Robin Hood gala has become one of New York's largest philanthropic events with its huge annual tally and donor list. It's also a symbolic gesture in which Wall Street's richest extend a hand for a night to the city's poorest. One of out every five New Yorkers lives in poverty and about 300,000 people receive food from a soup kitchen or food pantry weekly, the foundation points out on its Web site.
The $1.9 trillion hedge-fund industry is off to its worst start in almost two decades as some firms have been forced to liquidate or sell their holdings this year. Saltzman said individual donations ranged from $1 to ``millions of dollars.''
In 2007, John Paulson, founder of the New York-based Paulson & Co., led all hedge-fund managers with an estimated $3.7 billion in pay, according to Institutional Investor's Alpha Magazine.
Poverty-Fighting
The proceeds from the event, including the auction, will go to more than 240 poverty-fighting programs in the city. They include the Abraham House in the South Bronx, which offers social services to relatives of prison inmates and ex-inmates; the Children's Defense Fund-New York, which seeks better access to health care for poor children and Broadway Housing Communities in New York, which provides shelter for the formerly homeless or the mentally ill.
Designer David Stark turned a portion of the Javits Center into an other-worldly open space filled with makeshift walls and house-shaped structures partially composed of the merchandise to be given to many aid recipients of Robin Hood-funded programs. A tornado-shaped tower of 3,000 sneakers donated by Nike Inc. left some attendees slack jawed at first sight.
Instead of flowers as centerpieces on the dining tables, two Quanta laptops took their place. The computers were donated by One Laptop per Child, the Cambridge, Massachusetts, nonprofit that provides low-cost computers for children in developing countries. Office-supplies distributor Staples Inc. donated 3,000 calculators mounted on a towering wall. They will be given to participants in job training programs.
``Every single penny raised tonight goes to help people claw their way out of poverty and build better lives for themselves and their families,'' Saltzman said
Shakira shakes it at charity event
May 19, 2008
Outspoken Colombian rocker Juanes, one of the most anticipated performers at Saturday's event, was absent due to problems with his plane.
Organised by the Fundacion Alas (Latin America in Solidarity Action), the concerts, which have been widely referred to as the Latin American version of 2005's Live 8 anti-poverty concerts, brought together more than 380,000 people in the Mexican capital's Zocalo plaza and the riverside Costanera Sur in Buenos Aires.
Mexican magnate Carlos Slim and Howard Buffett, son of billionaire Warren Buffett, donated $200 million to combat poverty in Latin America.
In Buenos Aires, the eight-hour show took off with a performance by Mexican bombshell Paulina Rubio. At dusk, as the moon rose over the River Plate, Uruguayan singer/songwriter Jorge Drexler performed his Oscar-winning song Al Otro Lado del Rio, from The Motorcycle Diaries.
Rockers Fito Paez and former Soda Stereo frontman Gustavo Cerati came out for the most magical moment of the night, together singing Cerati's hit Crimen and Paez's anthem Ciudad de Pobres Corazones.
At the end of the show, Alas founder Shakira took the stage with Sanz for their chart-topping duet La Tortura.
Shakira also perfumed with Mercedes Sosa, the popular Argentine who is an emblematic figure of Latin American social commitment.
Shakira closed the concert with Cerati, singing Soda Stereo's spine-tingling homage to Buenos Aires, En la Ciudad de la Furia.
In Mexico City, David Bisbal started a marathon show for the thousands in the city's historical center who were undeterred by day-long rain. Hosted by Miguel Bose, co-founder of Alas, the concert featured, among others, Mexican popular heroes Tigres del Norte, Timbariche, Ricardo Montaner, Babasonicos, Chayanne, Emmanuel and Aleks Syntek.
Martin surprised the audience by singing his crossover hit Livin' la Vida Loca in English, ostensibly to take awareness of the concert beyond Spanish-speaking borders.
Mexico's classic rockers Mana performed their recent hit Labios Compartidos, followed by the evocative Donde Jugaran los Ninos (Where will the Children Play).
"It's time that the politicians stop losing time arguing about unimportant issues and that they focus on the children," Mana singer Fher Olvera told the crowd.
"Our attitude is going to force them to do it."
However, other than some artists' declarations and short messages shown on the screens during the show (32 million children in the region live on less than a dollar a day, according to the foundation), there was little information available to demonstrate how Alas and its artist members were working directly to improve the quality of life for Latin American youth.
But the excitement in Mexico continued with the appearance of Juan Luis Guerra, who appropriately for the day, performed Ojala que Llueva Cafe.
Just after midnight, Bose sang a duet with Ana Torroja of Mecano fame.
His set was followed by a spectacular finale with the participants reuniting on the Mexico City stage to sing the chorus to his hit Te Amare.
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ALAS News Release
May 16, 2008
(Mexico City) ALAS co-founders Shakira, Carlos Slim Helú, Miguel Bose, philanthropist Howard Buffett and more supporters yesterday announced an unprecedented financial commitment to address the needs of Latin Americas most vulnerable children. In order to aid the more then 32 million children living in poverty throughout the region, Carlos Slim Helú revealed a commitment of $110 million, while Howard Buffet detailed an additional commitment of $85 million to specifically support nutrition, agriculture, clean water and school feeding programs. Support from numerous other organizations brought the days total well over the $200 million mark. The individual philanthropic foundations will administer and distribute their committed funds to support programs related to the ALAS mission.
Translated as “WINGS” in Spanish, ALAS was founded by Latin America's most influential artists, intellectuals and business leaders to strengthen and expand both public and private sector support for Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs for the children of Latin America.
Having just unveiled these new initiatives, ALAS will next present El Concierto Por Los Niños” (“The Concert For The Children”) - which will see many of the world’s leading Latin music superstars join in a call-to-action to support the ALAS mission. Set to take place this Saturday – May 17th - with free concerts in Mexico and Argentina that are expected to attract over 300,000 fans, this historic event will see the participation of the following artists:
Mexico City - La Plaza de la Constitución, (El Zócalo) - Starting at 5:00PM (Local Time): Aleks Syntek, Ana Torroja, Babasónicos, Chayanne, David Bisbal, Diego Torres, Emmanuel, Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, Los Tigres del Norte, Maná, Miguel Bosé, Ricardo Montaner, Ricky Martin, Timbiriche & Tania Libertad
Buenos Aires - Costanera Sur - Starting at 2PM (Local Time): Alejandro Sanz, Calle 13, Fito Paez, Gustavo Cerati, Jorge Drexler, La Portuaria, Paulina Rubio, Pedro Aznar And Shakira
Look for Univision.com to present live streaming of portions of El Concierto Por Los Niños this Saturday, with a related broadcast special set to air shortly on the Univision television network.
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Shakira shakes up Plymouth
April 28 2008
THE power of the Colombian bombshell, Shakira, could not be contained during her performance at the Plymouth Jazz Festival on Saturday night.
In fact, she sucked the power right out of the electricity supply,running to the stage while singing and shaking her hips to "Don't Bother".
But the barefooted Shakira was no diva about the situation.
"These things happen," she said.
"Let's pretend that we finished that last song and I am going to make it up to you. The power could go, but I am not going anywhere."
Shakira continued to chat freely with the sold out audience, endearing herself to many, while waiting for the electricity supply to be fully restored.
"Please wait for me okay? Don't go anywhere. We're fixing it."
She continued into "La Pared" and thanked the audience for their patience.
Several costume changes later, Shakira left patrons mesmerised with her belly dancing skills.
She seemed to be having as much fun as those she came to entertain, including President George Maxwell Richards, his wife Jean Ramjohn-Richards, their daughter Maxine, Local Government Minister Hazel Manning (sans her husband, Prime Minister Patrick Manning), Attorney General Bridgid Annisette-George and sacked Trade and Industry Minister and Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley.
Working members of the local and international media, however, were hustled away from the front of the stage, where chairs were provided for them on Saturday, and told by festival officials to go into the general admission area some 800 feet away.
Reporters and photographers were told that Shakira's management had a problem with the group remaining in that area after the "three-song" limit allowed for shooting photographs.
Oddly enough, though, many people, including children standing on the chairs in the same area, were allowed to remain. One of them was even recording the event with the use of a video camera - an act that was strictly prohibited by the promoters. It turned out that this group of people comprised family and friends of a CL Financial official.
Notwithstanding, the show went on and the artistes were well received by the crowd.
British reggae group, Steel Pulse, created quite an impact with their driving rhythms and lyrics which tackled many political and social issues.
The group made a name for itself with hits such as "Life Without Music", "Africans Unite", "Earth Crisis", "Steppin' Out" and "Taxi Driver".
R&B group En Vogue - the 18th most successful act of the 1990s (according to Billboard magazine) - also continued their comeback trail. The group, backed by pre-recorded music and not by live musicians, was well coordinated with superb vocal harmonies and well-executed choreography.
Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones and Dawn Robinson performed, for about 40 minutes, their songs which won them several awards, including "Hold On", "Free Your Mind", "Don't Let Go", "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" and "Whatta Man".
Soca vibes were aplenty with Roy Cape All Stars featuring Blaxx, Olatunji Yearwood and Trini Jacobs.
The festival ended last night with performances by Whitney Houston and Rod Stewart.
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A dream coming true
April 27 2008
Shakira was in the community of La Playa to check how the building of her new school is coming along.The children were able to
spend time with her.
She was surprised to see how this project is finally becoming real. It was raining when she arrived, but water was not an obstacle
for her to walk around and spend time with the neighborhood children who were excited to see her, and who will also be students of the new school that will
open in February next year.
Shakira and Antonio checked the drafts of the school construction, they were both happy to see how the
project is going."this will be an opened door center with sport areas which all the community will be able to use,
with teaching rooms to prepare the parents, I am really impressed"
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