Shakira: What’s underneath her clothes?

She is hailed as The First Lady of Latin Pop, this petite livewire with no surname who’s a Jill-of-all-trades in a sense. A perfectionist, she’s involved in every step of the recording process – she writes, she produces and she helps market her albums, the latest of which is Laundry Service (by her home studio, Sony Music), now a quintuple-platinum in America where it was released in November last year and which is on its way to duplicating that phenomenal record in other countries around the world, the Philippines included.

Como estas, Shakira?

At 25, the fiery Colombian (once profiled by her compatriot, Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez) started as a singer at 13 and has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon (watch her explode with that magnetic Latin fire on the Philippine scene anytime now – that is, if she hasn’t yet). She won a Grammy last year for Best Latin Pop Album and two or three similar trophies in the Latin counterpart of the US Grammys.

Her full name is Shakira Mebarak Ripoll, a seductive fusion of 50 percent Arab and 50 percent Latin. On TV, she is the compleat seductress, shaking her, as fellow Latin artist Ricky Martin loves to call them, "bonbons" in the MTV for Underneath Your Clothes (from the Laundry Service album) which ends with her not smiling but waving goodbye with her sexy butt up close. That’s how very personal she can get, indeed!

That MTV was directed by no less than the high-profile Herb Ritts, who also did the MTV for ‘N SYNC’s Gone. It was the same MTV shown to members of the Asian press first week of May when Shakira was in Bangkok for a showcase (along with fellow Sony contract artist Darren Hayes of the disbanded Savage Garden duo) during the annual Sony get-together.

In person, Shakira is so small (she couldn’t be taller than 4’11" or 5 feet) that she looks like a walking/talking doll, a cross between Thalia (wife of Sony boss Tommy Mottola) and Mariah Carey, two Latin ladies as highly-flammable as she is.

Despite her jet lag, having flown more than 16 hours from America where she’s promoting Laundry Service, Shakira was all smiles when she showed up for both the print and TV interviews on a Saturday afternoon, a few hours after she graced a press conference held at the ballroom of the Bangkok Peninsula where she fielded questions – from the professional to the personal – without batting an eyelash.

Yes, she admitted, she’s in love with a wonderful guy, none other than the dashing Antonio dela Rua, 28, son of the former President of Argentina, who’s with Shakira in her Underneath Your Clothes MTV. She didn’t say if Antonio was traveling with her but the sparkle in her eyes said more than enough.

Okay, let’s take a look what is "underneath Shakira’s clothes."

Shakira is Arabic, I suppose. What does it mean in English?

"Shakira means ‘woman full of grace’."

How much of you is Arab and how much is Latin?

"Half and half. I feel that I have the Latin passion in everything I do and I also have the romantic spirit from my Arabic side. So I think that it’s a nice combination but also dangerous."

Dangerous in what sense?

"Passion with romance… when in excess can be very dangerous, too."

You’ve learned English very quickly. You write poetry, too, aside from songs. In what language are you now more expressive? English or Spanish?

"Of course, I feel that it’s very natural for me to write in Spanish; to express my thoughts, ideas and feelings in Spanish. But now, it’s also very interesting to write and to express myself in English; it’s an adventure. When I write in English, the challenge is precisely not to sacrifice anything that represents me or that represents my song-writing style. I try to keep my personality as a songwriter unaffected, so I can still recognize the same woman behind my English songs as much as I recognize the woman behind my Spanish songs."

You’re really a fast learner.

"But in the beginning, it was very intimidating because I didn’t know if, by writing in English, I would be true to my feelings and my ideas. I had to close the gap between my mind, my heart, and the words. That was the real challenge. But it has been quite an interesting journey."

Why did you call your first English album Laundry Service?

"Well, because after I completed the album, as soon as I completed the creative process, I felt cleansed… I felt renovated... I felt clean, as if I’d just gone out of laundry service. It was a cleansing process."

You sound so confident with yourself…

"…you just don’t know but I am very insecure. Ask those who know me and they’ll tell you that I am a sack of insecurities. But at the same time, I am also a sack of confidence. It’s a very exotic mix."

I wonder, what would you be insecure about?

"One thing is that I’m hard on myself; I tend to be a perfectionist. It might be somewhat stupid because life is not perfect, it’s never perfect. You can never expect to have total control over it. Oftentimes, you just have to let it run its course, just let it flow. I’ve realized that it’s absolutely absurd for you to try to control the uncontrollable."

In your performances, you use your body extensively. How do you keep your beautiful figure as far as dieting and working out are concerned?

"Thanks for all the compliment! Well, it’s very hard for me to keep my body in good shape because I eat like there’s no tomorrow. I really love to eat! I think it’s my favorite hobby – eating! It’s hard for me to keep my mouth shut where food is concerned. But I do try to maintain a balance, you know, when I exceed myself too much. I try to slow down."

What about working out?

"I do work out but I’m not too consistent."

Because of your very busy schedule?

"Yeah, you’re right! I don’t really have that much time to go to the gym and take care of my body. I spend my spare time with my family or reading a book, rather than go to the gym. I haven’t gone to a gym in a long, long time."

Amazing! And yet, you have such a wow figure!

"Well, I just started a certain diet a few weeks ago. I call it the cabbage soup diet. It’s cabbage soup the whole week – morning, noon and night. That’s from Monday to Saturday, all cabbage soup! But on the seventh day, I eat bars and bars of chocolate."

What sort of beauty routine do you follow?

"Beauty routine? I don’t think I have any. All I do every night is take off my make-up – that’s very important – and wash my face with water. But lately, I’ve started to apply some cream and moisturizer on my face and skin, something which I never did before. But now, you know, I’m getting older, so…"

Is any part of your body insured (just like Jennifer Lopez is rumored to have insured her butt, you know!)?

"Oh, no, no! Should I have something in me insured? Oh, yes, maybe my vocal chords!"

When did you know that music would be the center of your life?

"I was four, I guess. At that age, I started belly-dancing and I realized that the stage was where I perform well, where I am at my best. When I was a kid, I wanted to be many things – a dancer, a writer and a singer. I even wanted to go to the moon! Come to think of it, when I shall have done everything that I want to do, maybe I should go to the moon. That’s the next best stop, isn’t it?"

Do you remember the first song that you wrote? How old were you then?

"I was eight, I guess. It was a love song, called Your Dark Sunglasses. I remember that my father used to wear sunglasses all the time, so I decided to write a song about sunglasses. Oh, yes, I actually recorded that song for my first album which was released when I was 13."

From whom did you inherit your love for writing?

"From my Dad who is Lebanese. My Dad loves to write. By the time I was seven, I was glued to the typewriter, making poems. But it was my Mom, a Colombian, who realized that I could sing and she urged me to join contests."

You became a recording artist at 13. You started early. How did you do that?

"I had the good luck of meeting an executive of Sony Music who was visiting my hometown, Barranquilla, Colombia. It was my friend who hounded the Sony executive and asked him to listen to me sing. We went to the lobby of the hotel where he was staying and I sang three songs a cappella. I sang and danced and everything – in front of the whole hotel – and it was embarrassing. The next day, Sony Music signed me up. That was in the early ’90s. At first, I did two pop records, Magia (Magic) and Peligro (Danger)." (Note: Although the two records were not huge hits, they were enough to introduce Shakira to the Latin music scene. Her next two albums, 1996’s Pies Descalzos or Barefeet and 1998’s Donde Estan Los Ladrones or Where Are the Thieves?, made her a star in most Spanish-speaking countries, selling more than eight million copies worldwide. A music critic wrote: "Shakira mesmerized her audiences with an insane stage presence that was way more microphone-kicking Mick Jagger than totally-choreographed Britney Spears." In her MTVs, she delights in teasing the audience by shaking her butt toward the camera.)

Do you have any role models among Latin artists?

"I believe that there’s so many people out there doing a terrific job as ambassadors of our culture. I think that all of them deserve to be admired and somehow followed, people like Gloria Estefan. What she has achieved is something very outstanding and, for sure, she has been an inspiration for many Latin artists. You know, 20 years ago the position of Latin people in the world was not as advantageous as it is now; 20 years ago, things were much more different. Gloria made all the difference; she paved the way for us Latin artists."

Which of the singers you admire sort of influenced your singing style?

"I’m a fan of The Beatles, actually, and The Cure and Led Zeppelin and the Police and all the other artists who have written great songs that are still sung by millions around the world until now."

How do you feel about being the new Latin Pop Queen?

"Wow, you’re putting such a pressure on me! You know, I’ve been in the business for 11 years already and I’ve done seven albums, with Laundry Service as the seventh. But it doesn’t make any difference; I still feel the same. I go through the same things everyday. There have really been no dramatic changes in my life all these years."

What’s the best thing about success?

"I guess the best thing is that it makes you believe that all your efforts are somehow rewarded. The best thing about fame is that it is a very useful tool for building new bridges to make you get closer to people and to communicate your ideas. There’s a certain power that is given to you – the power of delivering messages. That’s what overwhelms me about this career. Once you have a certain credibility over a certain amount of people, they will listen to you. And there are many good things to do with that instrument."

And what could be the drawbacks to fame?

"Oh, I guess that the only thing I don’t like about fame is the paparazzi. I can’t seem to understand why guys would hang from trees like monkeys just to see me and my boyfriend holding hands…to take our pictures. Holding hands is something natural in anybody’s life, so what’s the big deal? I understand that they are paid for that but at the same time I feel sorry for them. Imagine how hard it must be for a 50-year-old guy to be taking pictures of somebody else’s normal life!"

Are you surprised that you’ve become so popular (also) in America so quickly?

"I’m optimistic; I always expect to do well, I always hope for the best. I know I have a great album (Laundry Service) so I don’t have any worries about not doing well."

You write mostly love songs. You must be a person full of love.

"It’s so healthy to be in love. All my energies are channeled to love; love is on top of my list of priorities. It shows you what is important in life and what is not. Love keeps your feet on the ground; it helps you to be a better person."

Are you in love at the moment?

(Eyes sparkling; breaking into wide smile) "Yes, I am. I am very much in love."

Of course, the whole world knows who the lucky guy is. I wonder, have you ever been broken-hearted?

"What happened to my lovelife was like a fairy tale. The ones who I thought were princes would turn into frogs at the end of the story. But I’ve finally found a prince who would never, never turn into a frog."

I’m curious…What is sexy to you?

"Sexy to me is synonymous to self-confidence. A man is sexy when he’s confident of himself."

Who do you think is the sexiest man alive?

(Breaking into an even wider smile) "A man called Antonio!"