Barranquilla is gearing up for its 2025 Carnaval, Colombia’s most celebrated cultural event, with a special tribute to GRAMMY®, and Latin GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Shakira, one of its renowned figures. This year, the festival adopts the global superstar’s iconic line from her hit song “Hips Don’t Lie” - “‘En Barranquilla se baila así” as its official slogan, honouring her enduring connection to her hometown. 

To kick off the celebration, a gathering took place at the Shakira statue in Barranquilla, on Saturday, January 11, where the official imagery for this year’s Carnaval was unveiled. Adding to the excitement, Shakira’s world tour, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, will make a highly anticipated stop in Barranquilla. When asked about her tribute, Shakira said, 

"This tribute touches my heart as a Barranquilla native and fills me with pride. It is an honour and a joy to be part of this in such a way. Since the day I was born, I have always felt incredibly proud to be from Barranquilla, and I always will be. Because that's what we do here—celebrate life. And above all, we celebrate that we know how to celebrate! Let’s spread this energy to the entire world! Long live the Carnival, long live Barranquilla, its culture, and its people. Let’s show once again that this is how we dance in Barranquilla! Love you all! "

The tour kicks off on February 11 in Brazil and continues through Latin America making stops in Peru, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, and Mexico before coming to the United States on May 13. Her performance in Barranquilla, on February 20 and 21, will not only celebrate her international success but also pay homage to the cultural heritage that has inspired much of her work.

The slogan “En Barranquilla se baila así” reflects the energy and spirit of the city, which Shakira captured in her 2005 global hit. The song, inspired by the rhythms of Colombian cumbia, celebrates the vibrant dance and music traditions that are at the heart of the Carnaval. Its accompanying music video further highlights Barranquilla’s culture, featuring traditional costumes, dances, and an unmistakable pride in the city’s rich heritage. 

Led by Mayor Alejandro Char, the 2025 edition of the Carnaval aims to showcase Barranquilla’s diversity and creativity.

“In Barranquilla, dance is not just rhythmic movement; it’s our way of speaking to the world. Here, every sway of the hips tells stories of carnival traditions passed down from generation to generation. Barranquilla is a city where music is lived, rhythm is breathed, and joy is felt in every corner. Here, our children learn to dance before they walk, and this is a tradition we proudly pass on to all generations,” stated Mayor Char.

Recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity for over 20 years, the Carnaval de Barranquilla brings together an array of traditional and modern influences. This year’s festivities will feature traditional dances like Cumbia, Garabato, and Mapalé alongside contemporary genres such as salsa, champeta and urban beats, creating a vibrant celebration of cultural fusion. 

With Shakira’s deep connection to Barranquilla and her global influence, the 2025 Carnaval promises to be a powerful showcase of the city’s identity and traditions, bringing its culture to the world stage like never before.   

About “Hips Don’t Lie”  

Inspired by Colombian cumbia, “Hips Don’t Lie” was released in November 2005 as part of Shakira’s album Oral Fixation Vol. 2 and became the Barranquilla artist’s most successful global hit, reaching No. 1 in more than 30 official charts.  

The song, featuring Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, also topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts and holds the record for being the most-played pop song in radio history, dominating the digital spaces of its time.  

In the music video, Shakira references the Carnaval de Barranquilla, paying tribute to its parades and dances such as Cumbia, Indios, Congos, Son de Negro, Farotas, Marimondas, and traditional costumes and masks like El Torito, El Tigre, and Marimondas.  

With Shakira’s concerts from her "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran" tour leading up to the festival and the city’s homage to its dances, costumes, and traditions, Carnaval de Barranquilla 2025 will prove why “In Barranquilla, this is how we dance.”  

About Shakira  

Shakira is a Colombian singer-songwriter and multi-GRAMMY® award winner. She has sold over 95 million records worldwide and has won numerous awards including three GRAMMYs®, twelve Latin GRAMMYs®, and multiple World Music Awards, American Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards, to name a few. She is the most-viewed female Latin artist, and one of the top-10 artists of all time on YouTube with over 27 billion cumulative views, and the most-streamed female Latin artist of all time on Spotify.  

Most recently, Shakira released her twelfth studio album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran to rave reviews. The album is a dazzling testament to her resilience and strength, as well as music's power to transform the most trying experiences into precious moments. In the first 24 hours it was released, the album became the most streamed album 2024 and was certified 7x Platinum.  

Shakira’s previous album El Dorado ranked #1 on iTunes in 37 Countries, won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2017 Latin GRAMMY® Awards, and Best Latin Pop Album at the 2018 GRAMMY® Awards. With over 12 billion streams, it is one of the most-streamed female albums of all time. In 24 hours, “SHAKIRA || BZRP Music Sessions #53” made history both on Spotify with over 14 million streams and on YouTube with over 52 million views. The song debuted at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is another historic moment for Shakira as she is the first solo woman to debut in the Top 10 on the chart with a song recorded in Spanish. It is also the Spanish language song with the most streams in a single day in Spotify history. In September, Shakira received the MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards and in honor of her award put on a breathtaking performance of her greatest hits.  

Less than a week after releasing her critically acclaimed new album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, Shakira surprised a crowd of over 40,000 people, the largest audience for a performance in Times Square and larger than any New Year's Eve crowd, with a mesmerizing performance at the TSX Stage in Times Square.

Author: Adam Bailey

Adam is a regular contributor for established press release distribution website Release-News.com. He writes on a wide range of topics including music.