Shakira in Tbilisi
YouTube has a video of Shakira performing Whenever, Wherever in Tbilisi, Georgia, two days ago. Didn’t even realize Shakira was performing there, but anyway. Reuters, however, posted a story about the pop star’s performance days earlier, but I didn’t realize until today. A pity as I would have considered venturing up there.
For most European capitals a Shakira concert is nothing special, but for tiny ex-Soviet Georgia the arrival of the hip-swiveling pop star may be a sign their economy is crawling back from the dead.
The Grammy award-winning singer from Colombia, known for her hit-single “Hips Don’t Lie,” is the biggest pop performer to play in Georgia, and local media report that her fee for Sunday’s show is between $1 and $3 million.
Shakira is coming to Tbilisi by invitation of a company building the city’s Park Hyatt hotel, part of a wave of foreign investment pouring into Georgia since reformist President Mikhail Saakashvili was elected in 2004.
“We have never dealt with such a big show before,” concert promoter Mikhail Giorgadze told Reuters. “None of the other entertainment projects that we have done before can even come close to this commercial scale,” he said.
Fans of Shakira will listen to her for free at an open square in the centre of Tbilisi on Sunday.
Tbilisi has hosted past concerts by the late Ray Charles and English pop band Simply Red, as well as artists from the Russian entertainment world, but never by a performer with Shakira’s mainstream commercial appeal.
Georgia’s economy imploded after the end of the Soviet Union as the country was pitched into civil war, separatist fighting and political chaos.
But foreign direct investment has been rising fast under Saakashvili and is forecast to reach $2 billion this year. Two years ago it was $700-$800 million. International hotel chains are among the investors attracted to Tbilisi.
Anyway, here’s Shakira in Tbilisi:
Other news is that another candidate intends to invite Whitney Huston and Steve Wonder to give another concert in Tbilisi. They are said to be in negotiations with them now. Interesting, however, that while Armenian candidates invite Russian singers such as Irina Allgrova or Dima Bilan, Georgians don’t betray their beliefs as well, inviting Western stars.
Comment by Zara — December 25, 2007 @ 1:33 pm
She played istanbul this summer but tickets were almost $100, which is sort of a lot. I would totally have gone in Tbilisi!
Last NYE, Boney M was supposed to play Maidan in Kyiv. They never showed! I’ll never listen to Rah Rah Rasputin again in protest.
Comment by carpetblogger — December 25, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
It’s kind of funny and also interesting. Geopolitical considerations in terms of music. Apart from a few small by comparison jazz concerts, Tbilisi looks West, while Armenia looks to Russia. They say you can see the same geopolitical choice in terms of vehicles on the roads in both countries too. Still, while I can live without Stevie Wonder and Whitney Huston, I wouldn’t have minded a free Shakira concert it has to be said. Even so, until the Red Hot Chili Peppers or another band I likes plays in Tbilisi, I’m not so jealous yet. But what do you mean candidate? This was a business-sponsored event by a hotel chain and not be anyone contesting the January presidential election if the Reuters report is anything to go by. Still, such an event won’t hurt Saakashvili’s standing, I’m sure.
Comment by Onnik — December 25, 2007 @ 1:48 pm
Learnt on the radio, the stress on another candidate, implying that this event served to Saakashvili’s purposes and is connected to the presidential elections in January.
Comment by Zara — December 26, 2007 @ 12:24 pm
Well, for sure, the timing is very interesting indeed, but anyway. So far I haven’t picked up anything on the Georgian blogs or media outlets implying that. Probably Armenian radio needs to explain why Tbilisi get Shakira and Yerevan has to make do with crappy Russian pop stars or from time to time, Western jazz musicians. In 2006, for example, Jamiroquai also performed in Tbilisi as did Herbie Hancock. True, we had Al di Meola and to be honest, I don’t feel sorry that Joe Cocker performed there, but missed out Yerevan. Shakira, however, is quite another matter and truly something not experienced in the South Caucasus. Still, the thought about timing of this concert is not lost on me.
Comment by Onnik — December 26, 2007 @ 12:39 pm
One of my friends happened to be in Tbilisi and attended the concert. I don’t know much more, as I didn’t get the chance to talk longer with my friend and ask him more. I only found out about this concert when he told me about it afterwards.
Comment by Myrthe — December 26, 2007 @ 1:39 pm
Hmmm, nice friend to tell you after the concert. You need to have words with him so we can be tipped off in advance next time.
Comment by Onnik — December 26, 2007 @ 2:02 pm
Yep, I know, Onnik! Apparently he got VIP-tickets “through channels” only on the day of the concert. According to him, if he’d known sooner, he would have let me know and invited me to come to Tbilisi…. But that’s all if-if-if.
Comment by Myrthe — December 26, 2007 @ 4:08 pm