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35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Shakira's "MTV Unplugged", June 17, 2000
I have listened to Shakira's studio albums, and must admit that the studio environment eliminates the exciting spontaneity she's able to create with the live band. Like me, you don't have to speak Spanish, in order to depict the emotional impact of her voice in each one of the songs on this album. The album opens up with "Octavo Día" which introduces a listener to a strongly talented sound of her band and the harmony achieved between it, and her well educated voice. The next track shifts to a heavier sound, reminiscent of Alanis' "You Ought to Know," as Shakira shows us that she can rock as good as any of the mad, American-rock chicks. She slows down as she steps into the next two tracks ("Dónde Están Los Ladrones" and "Moscas En La Casa") and softens her voice to the level of Sarah McLachlan. Mutual performance between her and the band by now is perfectly coordinate at every note, assuring a listener of Shakira's position as one of the strongest live performers in the business. With "Ciega, Sordomuda" she goes back to her native roots as she is accompanied by an additional band piece made up of traditional musicians. Close your eyes, and you'll easily be able to imagine yourself dancing to catchy beats of a local band in a small Colombian street festival. Shakira once again, slows it all down with "Inevitable," arguably the strongest track on the album; with music being written by her and a partner with whom she wrote more than half of the songs on this album. The track has the strong composition of any one of Alanis' songs, emotionally strong voice of any one of Sarah's songs, variability in voice of any one of Tori Amos' songs, and strength of a live performance none of these three artists have. Shakira has it all and more, and leaves you without a doubt about that with the next track, "Estoy Aqui." It's the only track from her first album release, and once again she suits it perfectly for a live performance. Before the next track kicks off, Shakira gives you a bit of extra time, just enough for you to catch your breath. "Tú" is filled with personal revelations and poetic verses. And to fit the mood, she is accompanied by a beautifully composed music of a single piano which even further compliments her talented voice. "Sombra De Ti" and "No Creo" continue to showcase what Shakira has already proved to us, without losing any of the excitement that the album opened up with. It just goes further to show her versatility and originality of each song. Perfectly calculated, the album closes with "Ojos Asi." The longest, strongest, catchiest, most cultured, most organized, and most musically muscular track of any one of her albums. You don't have to see the performance itself in order to hear and feel her every move. Her backing vocal singers come out strong on this track, solidifying the vocal presentation next to orchestra-like performance of her band. Almost 50 minutes of the music will leave you thirsty for more. Feel free to play it again and again; when piece of art is at its peak, it simply can not become boring. Each time it is played, you'll notice something new and intriguingly special about it. This is a rare must have of the MTV Unplugged collection.
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30 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enough of the "Latin Morissette" hype!, March 16, 2000
This is going to be less of a follow-up review of "MTV Unplugged" and more of a rant against the Amazon editorial reviewers' continued insistence on comparing Shakira to Alanis Morissette. The Amazon editorial reviewers are doing a disservice to those music fans who might purchase "MTV Unplugged" as their first Shakira album expecting her to be "Columbia's answer to Alanis Morissette." "Shakira" is the answer only if the question is "Whose musical style is totally dissimilar to that of Alanis Morissette?" Morissette's voice is day-old moonshine. Shakira's voice is 100-year-old cognac. Each has its own attractions, but to say that they're both going to hit you the same way is preposterous. While both women may sing of lost love, Morissette's songs are loaded with an unforgiving bitterness directed at her ex-lovers whereas Shakira's lyrics are almost always suffused with a certain longing and uplifting hopefulness. I've never felt the urge to dance to ANY of Morissette's songs; I can't imagine sitting still when I hear "Ciega, Sordomuda," "Ojos Asi," "Estoy Aqui," or "Que Vuelvas." I like Morissette's music. I've listened to her albums countless times and each time I find something new to admire about them, but they've never brought a smile to my face or a lump to my throat as Shakira's music has. Is Alanis capable of duplicating Shakira's soaring vocals on a song like "Tu" or capable of matching the boundless energy of "Ojos Asi"? Possibly, but not likely. But, then again, why would she want to? Each singer is a talented performer with a musical vision uniquely her own. If "MTV Unplugged" is going to be your first Shakira album, buy it on its own merits - Shakira's energetic and exquisitely beautiful voice and the refreshing dynamics of her songs - not because she's being pushed as the "Latin Morissette." If, in the future, Amazon feels compelled to compare singers, here's an idea. Morissette has tried to cultivate an image as a tough, no-holds-barred, trash-talking woman so perhaps the Amazon reviewers should refer to her as "Canada's answer to Gloria Trevi."
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I will keep an eye on her, March 1, 2002
I usually like unplugged recordings because an artist really show what (s)he has inside when (s)he is in a live situation with a basic orchestration possibility - no computer tricks. This one makes no exception. I enjoyed the way Shakira mixes Latin and oriental vibes with pop and rock. It creates a rich and varied sound, and it stands out today's marketed pop standards. I have not heard the studio version of those songs (yet), so I can't compare, but live they sound energetic and original. If I have to pick favourites I would say "Octavo Dia", "Moscas en la casa", "No Creo", "Ojos asi" and "Inevitable" but I do not skip any track. I stumbled upon this album in my Amazon recommendations once. Shakira is (yet?) unknown in my corner of the world, so I hesitated for a while before purchasing anything from her. What raised my interest was Amazon comment that "Sarah McLachlan and Alanis Morissette fans might be in for a surprise" because I happen to like both. I was not disappointed. If the voice is somewhere between Sarah and Alanis, in the end I would not insist on the comparison. Shakira has a strong personality shining through her lyrics and her interpretations. She does not need to be compared to anyone, she has what it takes to build up her own niche. This is one of the interesting artists I discovered in 2001 and will keep an eye on in the future. I am also planning to purchase her earlier spanish albums.
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