"C'mon, Rotterdam!"

I've been somewhat of a fan of Shakira's for a few years now. I've enjoyed her crossover hits ("Whenever, Whereever"; the twangy guitar-driven "Objection (Tango)"; the very sexy "La Tortura"; and just recently the catchy "Hips Don't Lie") and I've always pumped up the volume when these hits came on the radio. But watching her Live & Off the Record dvd permanently made me a Shakira advocate and solidified her indelibly in my mind as one of our preeminent crossover celebrities and iconic musical stars.

Not only does the camera smile at Shakira, it plies her with drinks and then tries to go home with her. She is photogenic heaven. There's also no denying that she's supremely talented. She writes and produces, as well as performs. She plays multiple musical instruments. Her vocals are evocative, controlled and on point, effortlessly harnessing a breathy, girlish, sweet quality and then seamlessly switching to a power ballad forcefulness at the drop of a hat. And, of course, she's got her signature throaty vibrato. She knows how to sell a song with her expressive looks, her soulful sincerity, her playful and sometimes coy rapport with the audience, and her body language. God, her body language. This Colombian dream on legs dances almost as enticingly, as exotically as Aishwarya Rai. Rump shaking, thy name is Shakira. She throws full out commitment into her numbers, her graceful, sinuous uniquely-Shakira moves almost seem like performance art in their stylishness and boldness.

Shakira: Live & Off the Record is a sweeeeet package. It contains a dvd and a cd of her 2003 Tour of the Mongoose concert in Rotterdam, Netherlands and showcases Shakira in all her captivating, booty-shaking, barefoot glory. If you're thinking of Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson-style production values, you can forget it. Live & Off the Record is BIG and BALLSY music, more valid and entertaining than mere derivative pop music. Very ably backed by her talented 9-piece band (some very nice violin and guitar work here), she entrances the crowd from the get-go, from the mezmerizing opening of "Ojos Asi," rife with hot, serpentine belly-dancing, all the way to her spectacular closing number "Whenever, Whereever," wherein she balances a candelabra on her noggin. In between, we are treated to a cool, sassy cover of AC/DC's "Back in Black," a drum-happy Shakira which intros "Rules," a heartfelt, audience-participatory "Underneath Your Clothes," the cardio-techno stylings of "Ready for the Good Times" and her percussion-heavy rendition of "Objection (Tango)." Her Latin songs ("Si Te Vas"; the trumpet-backed "Ciega, Sordomuda"; "Estoy Aqui"; "Octavo Dia"; and "Tu") are often slower in tempo, more power ballad-driven, yet they don't lose any energy or momentum in the delivery, and even seem to be more sincerely sung (understandably, she's more comfortable singing in Spanish). All throughout, she maintains that happy synergy between her and the audience and skillfully insinuates her own personal messages of peace and unity.

The documentary is revealing and informative, frankly depicting the high and low points of someone of Shakira's star status, and the baggages and pressures that come with that. Particularly brutal to watch was a bed-ridden Shakira, after an arduous performance, writhing and sobbing in pain as she is tended to by her father (belly-dancing, as well as the other physicalities of her stage act, really takes its toll). One sweet sequence has mariachis serenading Shakira in Mexico on St. Valentine's Day.

In a way, Shakira is like soccer. Out here in the States, she is a known commodity and fits a certain niche; she does well enough with her American fans. But, like futbol, Shakira is more than the sum of her popularity in the U. S. She is a worldwide phenomenon, universally more famous,loved, and lauded. She makes a great ambassador for her native country of Colombia. Watch this release to realize how far reaching Shakira's impact and appeal truly are.

The dvd numbers: "Ojos Asi" - "Si Te Vas" - "Ciega, Sordomuda" - "The One" - "Back in Black" - "Rules" - "Inevitable" - "Estoy Aqui" - "Underneath Your Clothes" - "Octavo Dia" - "Ready For The Good Times" - "Tu" - "Poem To A Horse" - "Objection (Tango)" - "Whenever, Wherever"

The cd songs: "Ojos Asi" - "Si Te Vas" - "Underneath Your Clothes" - "Ciega, Sordomuda" - "The One" - "Back In Black" - "Tu" - "Poem To A Horse" - "Objection (Tango)" - "Whenever, Whereever"