Shakira and J. Lo Showcasing The Power of Diversity at the Superbowl
Latina Icons Shakira and Jennifer Lopez Shake Up the 2020 Super Bowl
Super Bowl LIV took place on Sunday February 2nd, 2020. What is the Super Bowl? Super Bowl LIV is “an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2019 season”. The championship game was between the San Francisco 49ers versus the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas won 31-20… but what had everyone was less about the game and more about Shakira and Jennifer Lopez’s half time performance.
The half time performance is often referred to by fans as the biggest stage in the world – as only a handful of the best of the best artists are selected to perform; past performers have included the likes of Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Madonna, The Rolling Stones and Janet Jackson. This year, Latina queens Shakira and J.Lo were selected and also brought up on stage Spanish-rappers; J. Balvin and Bad Bunny.
The two stunning ladies were not only complimented on their physique (how can anyone dance in heels like that without falling!), but also more importantly the messages they brought on stage with them.
Shakira was up first. Shakira is both Latin and Lebanese, and incorporated the Champeta into her hit song, “Waka Waka”. Champeta is a traditional dance from her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia. It involves a ton of quick footwork – which Shakira learnt from an 18 year old fellow Barranquillera. She also included belly-dancing and Arab instruments such as the mijwiz and the derbeke in her performance. What’s gone viral on social media is Shakira’s tongue. Her tongue dance, called the Zaghrouta, is a traditional expression of joy and happiness often made by women in the Middle East and North Africa.
J.Lo was up next and certainly did not disappoint. She came dressed at one point in the performance, with a beautiful Versace coat – with the outside looking like an American flag and the inside resembling the Puerto Rican flag to symbolize her roots. Some viewers even reflected on Lopez’s performance in a more political aspect. A choir of children, led by her 11-year old daughter, Emme, appeared on stage while sitting in cage-like structures. Viewers thought this was a subtle nod to the current state of the US-Mexican border.
Shakira and Lopez both knew what they were doing with this show by bringing their cultural roots and showcasing them for the world to see. “Let’s show the world what two little Latin girls can do”, says Lopez in her Instagram post.
Already people have begun comparing the two performance with one another – who did it best? Who was sexier? Who “won” the half time performance? Instead of pitting women against one another – let’s just embrace the fact that not one, but TWO powerful women were able to tell their story the way they wanted on a global stage. In case you want to watch the Super Bowl performance again, click here to marvel (on repeat) at these two amazing trailblazers.
