A 21-foot statue of Shakira has been unveiled in her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia. The statue depicts the Grammy and Latin Grammy winner in one of her famous belly dancing outfits, with her hips swaying and her arms raised gracefully toward the sky. The singer and her family celebrated the milestone and posed for photos with the bronze statue, which she shared on her Instagram.
The mayor of Barranquilla, Jaime Pumarejo Heins, said during the unveiling ceremony that the statue “shows millions of girls that they can pursue their dreams and achieve what they want,” according to Reuters. A plaque under the statue commemorates Shakira’s birth in 1977 and describes her as a heart that composes, hips that don’t lie, and a voice that moves masses.
Shakira thanked the sculptor and his students for the statue, describing it as proof of the “enormous talent” of Barranquilla’s citizens. The statue is located on a promenade along the Magdalena River, not far from another statue of the pop star that was unveiled in 2006 near the local soccer stadium.
In addition to her legacy being immortalized with a statue, Shakira recently struck a last-minute deal to avoid the risk of going to prison in her tax fraud trial in Barcelona. The singer maintained her innocence for nearly five years in the case before reaching the deal.
“I have made the decision to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her personal well-being in this fight,” Shakira said in a statement. “I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love, my kids and all the opportunities to come in my career.”
Contributing: Joseph Wilson, The Associated Press