¡Aquí está el éxito! (Dónde Están Los Ladrones? - Shakira)

Member Name: avalon2005

Product:	Dónde Están Los Ladrones? - Shakira
Date:	07/01/05 (190 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: 11 great songs, Powerful vocals, Wide range of styles

Disadvantages: None

Whenever most English speaking people hear the name Shakira, they automatically picture the blonde haired girl who was prancing around with horses in the video for "Whenver, Wherever". A lot of people, however, forget or simply don't realise that Shakira has been popular all over Latin America for years and has had 3 major albums prior to her English debut, "Laundry Service".
"¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones?" (or 'Where Are The Thieves?') is Shakira's second big album which was released in 1998 after the unpredictable success of "Pies Descalzos" two years before. In this time, Shakira's vocals have further matured to produce a sound of raw talent. Unlike so many Latin around at this time and indeed today, there is nothing at all disposable about Shakira on this album, in fact one could say it was a masterpiece of the Spanish language.
The music is powerful, thought-provoking and truly genuine not to mention the sheer beauty of it all. Some people have criticized Shakira in the past, claiming she is nothing more than a Hispanic version of Alanis Morissette. To put it simply, this is the biggest load of rubbish you could ever hear. Shakira surpasses genres, develops heart touching melodies and writes poetic lyrics which one rarely finds in music sung in English.

The album begins with the track "Ciega Sordomuda" ('Blind, Deaf & Dumb) which is without doubt a great pop song spiced up by the presence of trumpets and acoustic guitars. There is a definite cultural feel to this song and you can easily picture yourself being transported to the heart South America. The lyrics in this song concern themselves with the subject of foolishness, and how Shakira has 'foolishly' departed from her lover yet she cannot forget him. Interesting though, we learn also that this lover never listens to her or tells her anything..

The second track on the album is named "Si Te Vas" which translates as "If You Leave". Shakira shows strength in this song, both in her vocals and what she sings about. Basically, she is informing her lover that if he leaves her, she will not be waiting for him when he inevitably returns.

Track 3 is named "Moscas En La Casa" ('Flies In The House') and it is arguably the most beautiful song on the album. We are told in the most calming of ways that her days without her lover don't have any nights and are nothing more than echos always repeating the same song. I particularly like this song because it has such a calm Latin flow to it and leaves you wanting to hear me.

"No Creo" ('I Don't Believe') is the next track and what a track it is! To me, it has a pop-bordering on-rock edge to it with Shakira reverting to her more gritty vocals. The lyrics in this particular song are nothing to write home about, more "no-one else can love you the way I do" type of think. Still, a great song all round.

"Inevitable" is a stunning song which progressively develops from being quiet to loud. This track demonstrates that you don't need to be singing in English to rock, and women are equally, if not better, than men at times. The lyrics are very truthful and poetic and I especially like the first line of the chorus which goes something like "The sky is now tired of watching the rain fall".

"Octavo Día" ('Eighth Day') is another rock influenced song with very deep lyrics compared to what we usually hear in the charts. The theme of the track is basically about how God would be disgraced to find the world in the state it's in today and when God turns him back on us, there'll be nothing else to do other than admire the celebrities in the world. Also, the chorus has a lyrical feeling to it that we are nothing more than chess pieces being moved around on a world that will never stop turning.

"Que Vuelvas" ('That You Return') reminds me of the song "Estoy Aquí" from Shakira's previous album. It is a decent dance track which hits all the right notes, but I don't think it compares to the other songs contained here.

"Tú" ('You') is simply brilliant. The song has such a stunning quality to it, aided by the superb vocal performance made by Shakira. The lyrics, which would seem almost sickeningly sweet if translated into English, are superb and sound like they are being sung with true emotion. My favourite line goes "If one day you decided to suddenly move away from here, I would close every door so you'd never be able to leave".

By number 9, we've reached the title track of the album which is another highlight. "¿Dónde Están..?" is rock at its best, and Shakira's harmonica addition helps the song even more so. The lyrics are literally talking about the search for thieves and the places they've been spotted. Great stuff!

"Sombra De Ti", or 'Shadow Of You', is another great song (notice a trend here?) which has a calming quality to it. It reminds me of a song released by a British artist in the 80's but I can't think what it is. When I hear this song, I imagine Shakira lying on a beach, the sun setting and the water starting to flow gently to the shore. The lyrics are beautiful too; I'm going to let my guitar say everything that I don't know how to say myself.

"Ojos Así" ('Eyes Like Those/Yours') is the final track (on most versions of the album) and is probably the most standout effort, too. Seeing as Shakira's father is part Lebanese (and I think her name comes from Arabic, but cannot be sure), she was bound to delve into her cultural roots and interpret them into a song. Here is the result, and how brilliant it is, too. The song moves at a fast pace and contains many beautiful instrumental arrangements, not to mention the verse which Shakira sings in Arabic! Truly a perfect way to finish up a great album.

So my view is that although Shakira's current image is somewhat similar to that of Jennifer Lopez and Thalia (a rather annoying Mexican diva), don't be put off buying her previous albums. If you liked "¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones?", then you're sure to like the "MTV Unplugged" version of the album and "Pies Descalzos".

Shakira- te quiero muchísimo pero por favor, vuelve a cantar la música en español, ¡es mucho mejor!

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