Shakira Turned Heritage Into One Of Her Most Electrifying Early Anthems
Zephyring 27 years ago this week, Shakira unleashed “Ojos Así”—and calling it merely a hit still feels far too small. Released as a single on July 23, 1999, the song was a full-body celebration of the Colombian superstar’s Lebanese roots, wrapped inside one of the most hypnotic pieces of late-’90s Latin pop.
Before the English-language crossover, the Super Bowl, the World Cups and the global-icon chapter, this was Shakira already thinking beyond borders. “Ojos Así” blended Arabic vocal passages, Middle Eastern percussion, Latin rhythm, rock energy and Spanish lyrics without sanding any of those identities down for easy consumption.
SHAKIRA CLASSIC
Return To The Red-Haired Era
Revisit the album that pushed Shakira beyond Latin America, then keep the late-’90s Latin-rock energy moving with music and visual memories from the era.
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The song originally appeared on ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones?, Shakira’s breakthrough 1998 album. That record established her as a singular writer and performer capable of moving between rock, electronic production, Latin pop and regional influences while keeping her unmistakable voice at the center.
With “Ojos Así,” she pushed that range even further. The arrangement pairs resonant doumbek-style percussion with swirling electronic textures and a chorus built for hips, hair and dramatic stage lighting. Shakira moves between Spanish and Arabic as naturally as the production moves between continents.
The lyrics travel from Bahrain to Beirut in search of a pair of eyes unlike any others, turning romantic obsession into a journey across geography and heritage. Those references were not decorative. They connected the song directly to the Lebanese ancestry passed down through Shakira’s father, William Mebarak Chadid.
That cultural specificity is part of why “Ojos Así” has aged so beautifully. Shakira was not borrowing an exotic accent for one single; she was placing her own mixed identity at the front of the production. Colombian and Lebanese influences were not competing sides of the song. They were the song.
The official video made the fusion impossible to miss. With her blazing red hair, metallic styling and belly-dance movement, Shakira presented a version of Latin stardom that was theatrical, multilingual and culturally layered long before the mainstream industry learned how eagerly global audiences would embrace all three.
She later recorded an English adaptation titled “Eyes Like Yours” for 2001’s Laundry Service, but the original remains thee definitive experience. The Spanish and Arabic phrasing, the percussion, the tension and that vocal attack belong together exactly as they arrived.
Watch Shakira’s Official “Ojos Así” Music Video
The 1999 visual captures red-haired Shakira performing the Spanish-and-Arabic anthem with the belly-dance movement and fiery stage presence that helped define the era.
INYIM Revisits Shakira’s “Ojos Así” 27 Years Later
Our anniversary clip celebrates how Shakira fused Arabic melodies, Latin rhythm and her Lebanese-Colombian heritage into one of the boldest singles of her early career.
Source: Shakira’s official YouTube and Sony Music Entertainment.
