Arts in Brief

Colombian pop star Shakira may be making a one-time performance in Israel this summer at Bloomfield Stadium.

By MIRIAM SHAVIV, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
shakira 88 (photo credit: )
shakira 88
(photo credit: )
Her hips are headed here Colombian pop star Shakira may be making a one-time performance in Israel this summer at Bloomfield Stadium. Shakira's agents are working on sealing a deal with Israeli producers to make a stop here this August as part of her European tour. The pop star is a two-time Grammy Award winner and an eight-time Latin Grammy Award-winner. She has been a major figure on the pop music scene in Latin-America since the mid-1990s, and since has expanded her career as a singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. In 2001, she broke through into the English-speaking market with the release of Laundry Service. Born to a Colombian mother of Catalan and Italian descent and a Lebanese father, Shakira grew up among the Lebanese and Italian communities. Shakira, which means "graceful" in Arabic, certainly applies to the singer who is known best for her belly-dancing moves. - Miriam Shaviv Who will win song of the year? Israel's version of MTV, Music Channel 24, has become a potent force in Israeli popular music. By focusing on homegrown talent, Israeli stars get a chance to strut their stuff, and their videos. And for the past few years, they've also been able to enjoy their own awards show. This year's AMI (Arutz Musika Yisraeli) Awards will be broadcast live on March 8, and will be decided both by judges (known as the Academy) and the viewing public. Award categories include Song of the Year, Band of the Year, Album of the Year, Video of the Year, and more. Harel Skaat, Din Din Aviv, HaDag Nahash, Giraffot, Ehud Banai, Aya Korem, Shai Gabso, and Aviv Gefen are among the artists who have received major nominations this year. The public gets 90% of the deciding votes, while the Academy's choices counts for 10%. Voting has begun and will continue online through March 8 on music24.walla.co.il. - Miriam Shaviv Grammys dig Klezmer Who says Klezmer music is out? Sunday's Grammys awarded a coveted statuette to the Klezmatics, a modern klezmer music group. The band was thrilled to walk away with the Contemporary World Music Album award for their CD Wonder Wheel with lyrics by Woody Guthrie. - Jerusalem Post staff