The sex appeal, spectacle, and substance of Shakira are in full effect on
Live and Off the Record, a combination DVD/CD recorded primarily in Rotterdam in 2003. In many respects, Shakira's show is like those of other contemporary pop divas: tightly choreographed dancing, frequent costume changes, songs (in Shakira's case, sung in both English and her native Spanish) with big, anthemic choruses.... But Shakira's sound is harder-edged than, say, Britney or Celine's; her core backing musicians are your basic two-guitars-bass-drums rock band, and she even covers AC/DC's "Back in Black." She's a stronger singer than Janet Jackson, and writes or co-writes more of her own material (music and lyrics alike) than any of the others; she even displays some passable chops as a drummer. Much of the material here, including hits like "The One" and "Whenever, Wherever," comes from Shakira's
Laundry Service, the 2001 CD that was her first to feature songs in English. Ten of the 15 tunes from the live performance are also included on the accompanying audio-only CD, while among the DVD features is a 50-minute documentary. Combine all of that with frequent close-ups of her belly (bare, of course) and her, um, back, and you've an entertaining show by a performer with a substantial upside.
--Sam Graham
