Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 1 June 2017

For Shakira, music takes

backseat to motherhood

MESFIN FEKADU didn’t want to stop spend- hit on Billboard’s Hot Latin
AP Music Writer ing time with my kids, but I songs chart with fellow Co-
NEW YORK (AP) — Shakira also wanted to attend to lombian singer Maluma.
may be a Grammy-win- my own needs as a cre- Another single, “Me En-
ning, multiplatinum singer, ator, as an artist, as a pro- amore,” features her part-
but these days she’s calling ducer,” she said. ner, soccer player Gerard
music a hobby. She decided to release Pique, in the music video.
Singing has taken a back music in her own way and The album, mainly in Span-
In this May 16, 2017 photo, Colombian performer Shakira poses seat to motherhood for at her own pace. ish with some English songs,
for a portrait in New York to promote her 11th album “El Do- the 40-year-old Colombi- Instead of putting out a full includes pop, reggaeton,
rado”. an sensation, who has two album, she released songs bachata, vallenato and
Associated Press sons, ages 4 and 2. when she wanted without funk sounds. Shakira co-
“For years I spent my life announcing when an al- wrote all of the tracks and
pressing pause on those bum would finally come. said they are very personal.
things that are now my pri- “It completely changed “When I played ‘Me En-
ority, like having a family. my game and it incentiv- amore’ for (Gerard), he
I pressed pause on that. ized me to make more mu- really liked it. ... He looks
Now, I hit play,” Shakira sic and not take this whole at me with those eyes like,
said with a laugh. “I formed project as a whole body of ‘Oh,’ like really appreciat-
a family, and it’s the most work, but just concentrate ing the fact that I almost
wonderful thing, the most all of my energy on each paid an homage to that
important thing to me. And song and take and do all moment in our lives when
before, of the efforts but one song we met each other and
I used to be the center of at a time ... instead of look- the turning point in our lives
my whole world and the ing at this project like a big when everything changed
beginning and the end, Everest mountain that I for both of us,” recalled
the alpha and omega of had to climb,” she said. “I Shakira, who also said new
my whole world, and now began to see it as a ... fun songs like “Amarillo” and
my kids and my family are road trip.” “Coconut Tree” are about
that one priority.” “It was more fun than any her and her lover.
Shakira said it was difficult of my previous albums be- They have been together
to approach making new cause before I had many since 2011 and live in Bar-
music after spending so demands (and) requests celona, Spain.
much time with her family. by others,” she added. “These songs are very per-
When she started working Before she released her sonal songs, but you know,
in the recording studio, she 11th album, “El Dorado,” I have no other way to
said she dealt with writer’s last week, Shakira dropped make music. It’s the only
block and didn’t want to four singles, including “La way I know. It’s (a) ca-
be away from her children. Bicicleta” with Carlos Vives tharsis for me ... otherwise
“I was in front of this white — which won song and I would have to pay too
canvas and sort of panick- record of the year at last many shrinks and they’re
ing, and I was, at the same year’s Latin Grammys — expensive,” she said with a
time, conflicted because I and “Chantaje,” a No. 1 laugh.q
Aerosmith’s nearing 50 years but plans to

‘keep going’

MUNICH (AP) — Aerosmith
may be approaching its
50th anniversary, but its
members say the band’s
not going anywhere.
Front man Steven Tyler
and Joe Perry both say
the band will keep play-
ing. That’s despite the title
of their tour, ‘Aero-Vederci
Baby!’ — which seems to
play on “arrivederci,” Ital-
ian for “goodbye till we
meet again.” That ap-
peared to hint it could be Singer Steven Tyler, left, and guitarist Joe Perry perform during a
concert of Aerosmith at the Koenigsplatz in Munich, Germany,
a farewell tour for the band Friday, May 26, 2017.
after their run of dates in Associated Press
Europe. “From my point of
view, I think that we are ry said, adding he wanted “pretty active over the next
going to keep going,” Per- to see Aerosmith remaining few years.” q