Some day, organizers of "Vive Minnesota ... El Festival," hope to bring the likes of Shakira and Enrique Igliesias to St. Paul. This weekend, though, folks will have to settle for three free days of dance, music, culture and fun. In what's being billed as the "first annual" of a future Twin Cities institution, the Latino festival will take to Harriet Island Saturday. Free events run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and Sunday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday.
Features include two stages with 30 musical acts "spiced with Latin dance," games for kids and adults, and food for both the Latino-American as well as the Minnesota palate, according to organizers, who spent more than a year planning the event.
The Mexican telecommunications billionaire Carlos Slim Helú does not seem to like appearing in public, but he apparently could not resist an invitation from the Colombian pop star Shakira and about a dozen other Latin music stars. Mr. Slim was on hand in Mexico City for the announcement of two free rock concerts to raise awareness of ALAS, a foundation started byShakira and other musicians. The concerts were scheduled to be held on Saturday in Mexico City and Buenos Aires.
The goal of ALAS, which means “wings” in Spanish, is to press business leaders and governments to finance early-childhood development programs in Latin America. The foundation claimed a major success on Thursday: Mr. Slim pledged $110 million to children’s programs. Mr. Slim sat stiffly in a leather chair during the press conference last week, but he appeared to loosen up backstage when Shakira planted a kiss on his cheek. Also in attendance was Howard Buffett (son of the billionaire Warren E. Buffett), who pledged $85 million to existing Latin American projects. “When Shakira calls, you show up, so here I am,” said Mr. Buffett, who noted that he did not usually publicize his philanthropy.
May 12, 2008 -- AT LEAST Shakira Garcia's boys have something interesting to discuss during show and tell. By day, Shakira is a Queens mom whose two boys need a steady fix of sneakers and Nintendo games. Which leads to Shakira's nighttime career - gyrating at the VIP strip club in Chelsea, where well-heeled bankers, politicians and a few women show their appreciation forShakira's gravity-defying C-cup with a steady flow of $20 bills. "I just want to make my boys happy!" trilled Shakira, 29, who believes her sons, 6 and 8, are oblivious to mom's profession. Shakira's body, a marvel of natural and surgical gifts, earns her anywhere from $500 to $1,000 a night - better than she made in tips working as a waitress at Kennedy Airport.
Still, you might ask: Why is a mother taking her clothes off for a living? And, more to the point, why is she telling me, of all people, about her line of business? These are dark days for the flesh trade, with upscale jiggle joints like Scores West busted for prostitution and sleaze emporia like the Queens club Kalua - site of the Sean Bell shooting - revealed as dens of iniquity specializing in drugs and hookers. Shakira is far from the only single mom to make money peddling mammaries. But she's about the only one who wants to talk about her dual roles. She wants it known that stripping can be a legitimate calling for a devoted mother. And the outfits are cute, too. Shakira heard about the club a year ago and was attracted to the idea that it had a sushi bar. "Ooh, sushi!" she said. "I figured, 'What the hell?' "
While Shakira's mom watches the kids, dumpy neighborhood mothers gossip about her as she struts off to work. She doesn't mind. Shakira insists the VIP club is totally safe, has zero tolerance for prostitution or drugs, and welcomes the ladies. "My first lap dance was the most scariest thing!" said Shakira, who has a high-school diploma. "But it was a couple, so that was OK. "The clients come in, 'How are your kids?' I'm like, 'How are your kids?' " One day, she wants to own a store. VIP club owner Sam Zherka says no dollar bills cross from client to dancer. "If you want to tip a girl, it's $20," Zherka said. He added that dancers will be fired for dating customers. It's so wholesome. So clean. So would I recommend stripping as a young mom's profession?
Today is the Cinco de Mayo — the Fifth of May, a major holiday in Mexico — and in New Iberia, a group of 10 local children ages 8 to 12 will be dancing traditional Mexican and modern dances in honor of the holiday tonight at El Chile Verde. The children are of Mexican, Honduran and Caucasian descent, but all, said Erlinda Mendoza, a Jeanerette resident who has been organizing the dances for the past few years, have a bit of Latin in them. She said that is why the back of the shirts they wear when they practice say “Latin Spice.”
“Latin spice is a spice of all different kinds,” she said. “A love of music, style, of everything — of dance — they want to do it. They want to learn a different culture.”
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Another example of that would be children dancing traditional Cajun dances on “Cajun day,” she said. On the Cinco de Mayo, the kids will be dancing the “Jarabe Tapatillo,” also known as “The Mexican Hat Dance,” La Raspa, The Chameleon, and to Shakira, Beyonce and a new song called “Apple Bottomed Jeans.” Mendoza said most people think the Cinco de Mayo is the anniversary of Mexico’s independence. However, Cinco de Mayo is the date the Mexicans got the Spanish out of Mexico in the Battle of Puebla. Sept. 16 is Mexico’s actual independence day.
The 10 children performing are Brianna and Alejandra Mendoza, Bryan and Jurgen Solano, Maria and Christian Cruz, Alyssa Melchor, Alyssa Babb, Trevor Amy and Brandon Andrews. The Cruzs are from Lydia and all the others live in Jeanerette. Brianna, 12, is Erlinda’s daughter and the oldest of the group. Her favorite dance is the Jarabe Tapatillo, “because all the kids participate.” The Jarabe Tapatillo is also the favorite of Bryan Solano, 7, and Alyssa Melchor, 8.
Jurgen Solano, 11, said his favorite part of all is the sombreros “because they’re colorful.” Alyssa Babb, 9, said her favorite was the Shakira dance “because all the girls do it. It’s just fun.” Christian Cruz, 9, said his favorite — and also least favorite — part was dancing with his sister Maria, 7. “She already knows it and she started after me,” he said. Maria said the dancing was fun. “I like it because I’m getting used to it,” she said.
Some day, organizers of "Vive Minnesota ... El Festival," hope to bring the likes of Shakira and Enrique Igliesias to St. Paul. This weekend, though, folks will have to settle for three free days of dance, music, culture and fun. In what's being billed as the "first annual" of a future Twin Cities institution, the Latino festival will take to Harriet Island Saturday. Free events run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and Sunday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday.
