Shakira opens her first tour in seven years in Rio de Janeiro

Colombian star Shakira delivered an electrifying concert on Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro, marking the kickoff of her Women No Longer Cry world tour, her first in seven years.

The 48-year-old artist delivered a dynamic performance at the Nilson Chaves Olympic Stadium, seamlessly blending songs from her 12th album— which shares its name with the tour— with her most beloved classics. The venue can hold up to 46,000 people.

"Boa noite, Rio de Janeiro, tudo bem?" said Shakira, who spoke to the audience in fluent Portuguese throughout the show.

With state-of-the-art lighting and visual effects, Shakira took the audience through all the stages of her three-decade career, starting from her international breakthrough with Pies Descalzos in 1995.

Decked out in sparkly top and skirt that swayed with the rhythm of her signature hip movements, the singer opened the show with "La suerte," "Te felicito" and "Monotonía."

Over the course of two and a half hours, she performed hits such as "Hips Don't Lie," "Inevitable," "La Bicicleta," "Chantaje" and "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)," the official anthem of the 2010 World Cup.

From pop ballads to reggaeton, and spanning salsa, vallenato, and even bachata, the Colombian singer celebrated Latin music—just days after winning the Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album, which she dedicated to immigrants in the United States, who were facing the threat of mass deportations under President Donald Trump.

Shakira also sang "Mama Africa," a song by singer-songwriter Chico Cesar, a nod to her Brazilian fans, whom she called "the best audience in the world."

"Music heals"

To say goodbye, the Colombian artist had the stadium buzzing with Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,' the track she recorded with Argentine producer Bizarrap, which became a global phenomenon and shattered streaming records.

Released after her highly publicized split from soccer player Gerard Piqué in 2022, after 12 years together, the song became an anthem of pain and revenge—one that was chanted in unison by the thousands of attendees in Rio.

At the end of the show, a giant three-dimensional figure of a she-wolf accompanied the singer on stage, as she mentioned "resilience" several times.

"Music heals," she said. "Loving someone else is very nice, but it's nicer to love yourself."

"She went through a very difficult time in her personal life, she reinvented herself, and today she is stronger than ever. I think this show came to crown this moment," Juliana Modenesi, 40, who came from Espiritu Santo, some 375 miles northeast of Rio, to see her idol for the first time, told AFP.

The Colombian artist had not toured since El Dorado World Tour in 2018.

On that occasion, she performed in Brazil but not in Rio, where she had previously experienced memorable moments, including her participation in Rock in Rio in 2011 and her performance at the closing of the 2014 World Cup.

With more than 90 million albums sold worldwide, four Grammys and 11 Latin Grammys, Shakira has cemented her place as one of the most successful Latin artists in history.

The album "Las mujeres ya no lloran," released in March 2024, includes collaborations with artists such as Rauw Alejandro and Karol G, Ozuna and Cardi B.

The singer will perform in Sao Paulo on Thursday before continuing her tour to Peru, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, and Mexico. She will then head to the United States and Canada, completing nearly 50 performances.