Shakira’s “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” Video Surpasses Two Billion Views on YouTube

Shakira has another two billion reasons to celebrate…

The 41-year-old Colombian superstar’s “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” music video has surpassed two billion views on YouTube.

Shakira

Shakira, who is currently crossing the U.S. on her El Dorado Tour, shared the news with her fans on Instagram. “Incredible,” she wrote.

The “Waka Waka” clip is Shak’s second video to reach the milestone, following “Chantaje” with Maluma, which hit the two-billion mark earlier this year.

On the Billboard charts, Shakira’s “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” featuring Freshlyground peaked at No. 38 on the July 3, 2010-dated BillboardHot 100 chart. It spent a total of 18 weeks on the chart.

“Waka Waka” was the official 2010 FIFA World Cup song.

Buika to Perform at This Year’s Blue Note Jazz Festival

Buika is ready to jazz up one of New York’s most popular events.

The 42-year-old Afro-Spanish torch singer is among the artists set to bring a little Latin sabor to the Blue Note Jazz Festival in June.

Buika

Along with Buika, Cuban percussionist Pedrito Martinez, neo-bossa nova artist Bebel Gilberto, and Latin Grammy-nominee Natalie Cole will also perform at the event.

The month-long festival will feature an increased Latin music presence during its fifth edition due to the addition of a new Blue Note Entertainment venue in Manhattan. The Latin and World music club Subrosa, which has hosted shows since late 2014, will have its official opening April 14-20.

During the Blue Note Festival, Subrosa will host concerts by Martinez, Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodríguez, Latin soul group Fulaso, and The Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra.

Buika, who performs frequently for diverse New York audiences, will play Town Hall, as will Natalie Cole, who will sing cuts from her 2013 Natalie Cole en Español album during another show. Flamenco jazz guitarist Ottmar Liebert, with band Luna Negra, are scheduled for B.B. King’s Blues Club. Gilberto and Latin jazz staple Gato Barbieri will both perform at the Blue Note Jazz Club.

Latin music fans could also be drawn to a concert at Town Hall by Freshlyground. The African collective became known worldwide after collaborating with Shakira on “Waka Waka.” The group will give a concert at B.B. King’s during the Blue Note festival.

Shakira Performs “La La La (Brazil 2014)” at the FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony

World Cup 2014

It’s a red-hot record-setting performance for Shakira in Brazil…

The 37-year-old Colombian singer performed “La La La (Brazil 2014)” at the closing ceremony of this year’s FIFA World Cup.

Shakira

Banging on a Carnaval drum while sizzling in a red dress made up of sequined straps and a revealing fringe skirt, Shakirae was accompanied by samba dancers, Brazilian percussionists and Brazilian collaborator Carlinhos Brown, wearing a black tie and an Indian headdress.

It was the third consecutive appearance at the World Cup for Shakira, a first for a musical act.

Shakira’s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” feat. Freshlyground, was the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and she also performed “Hips Don’t Lie” at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Berlin.

Shakira was immediately followed by Santana, Wyclef and Alexandre Pires, who gave an inspired live performance of the official World Cup anthem “Dar Um Jeito (We Will Find a Way).”

By the time Brazilian superstar Ivete Sangalo came out to sing, the crowd was jumping in the stands.

A roar went up in the stadium at the end of the 20-minute show, which came before the final match between Argentina and Germany. As a finale, all of the artists danced together on the field, Shakira holding her toddler son, Milan.

The closing ceremony, though brief, was an appropriately celebratory kickoff for the last game of the global tournament. It was a bittersweet sendoff for Brazil, which suffered an embarrassing defeat to Germany and ended up in fourth place after a 3-0 game against the Netherlands.

After the unprecedented success of her 2010 World Cup South Africa anthem “Waka Waka,” Shakira made a bid for this year’s World Cup with the Brazil 2014 version of her single “Dare.” The song was not awarded official FIFA song or anthem status but was included as a cut on the World Cup album.

 

The video posted on Shakira’s Vevo channel has more than 220 million views, besting Pitbull’s “We Are One,” which has almost 189 million.

Shakira to Perform at This Year’s FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony

Shakira is ready to la la la her way to Brazil for a record-setting World Cup performance…

The 37-year-old Colombian singer and former The Voice coach has confirmed that she’ll perform “La La La (Brazil 2014)” featuring Brazilian artist Carlinhos Brown at the closing ceremony of this year’s FIFA World Cup.

Shakira

Shakira’s track, which has been billed as this year’s official World Cup anthem, has spent six weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 53.

More traction is expected for “La La La” following Shakira’s performance, which will be her third consecutive appearance at the World Cup, a first for a musical act.

Shakira’s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” feat. Freshlyground, was the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and she also performed “Hips Don’t Lie” at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Berlin.

“I have an intricate relationship with football for obvious reasons,” said Shakira, whose partner is Spanish soccer player Gerard Pique, with whom she has a son, Milan, who is featured kicking a soccer ball on the “La La La” video.

“For me the World Cup carries such a tremendous personal connection as well. This will be my third consecutive FIFA World Cup performance, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup changed my life forever — it’s where I began the love story of my life, and now have my son Milan as a result,” added Shakira. “For all of those reasons I just feel so grateful for the opportunity to come back to perform at the Closing Ceremony of this year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil, it feels right. The fans have shown the most incredible support for this song and I can’t wait to perform it for them.”