You're never really sure what to expect from Shakira, and she certainly proves that on her new DVD/CD combo Live and Off the Record. One minute she's belting out a hit like "Whenever, Wherever" from her breakthrough album Laundry Service. Then she kicks fresh life into AC/DC's "Back in Black." Or plays the drums. Or reveals that she "feels nostalgia for things I have never lived."
Can't exactly say what that means, but one thing's for sure: Shakira has personality to spare. Live and Off the Record accommodates her public and private sides. It's both a concert film and a documentary that captures such off-the-cuff moments as writing in the studio with her band or canoodling with her fiancé. All of her live performances are also found on the accompanying CD.
The Latin singer took time out from recording Laundry Service's follow-up in the Bahamas to explain why she sometimes feel like a truck driver onstage, and why the gift of a few chickens inspired her to become a vegetarian - at least for a little while.
So this is your first live DVD.
Shakira: It's as live as it gets! It's the first time I've documented my performance in front of an audience in 13 years of a career, so it's pretty thrilling for me. I'll show that to my kids when I'm all wrinkled and can barely move, and tell them, "This is your mom. This is what she used to do."
Why was now the right time for a live disc?
Shakira: I consider the performing my strength. I deliver much more on a stage than in the recording studio. You know how there are actors who consider themselves more theatrical actors than film or TV actors? That's sort of the same way I feel. Playing live is when I really connect to the people who are observing me and accompany me through this riot of emotions that I go through once I'm on the stage.
How do you decide how to balance out the material in your set?
Shakira: My live shows are a little bit of a ride. I'm like the driver of a big truck and my fans are all in the back. I'm driving them through different sensations. I pick my [set list] based on giving them variety - excitement and melancholy and also some introspection and confrontation. The ultimate purpose of an artist is to confront yourself and people through music, because music is like a mirror. I see my own reflection and I get to know myself a little better.
Why did you cover "Back in Black"?
Shakira: I'm a diehard AC/DC fan. I kill for '80s music, especially AC/DC. I wanted to cover that song and it was a perfect opportunity to do it.
You play guitar and drums on the DVD. Is it important to show people you can play an instrument?
Shakira: When I was 10 years old, I started playing the guitar a little bit. I started playing the harmonica when I was in my teens. Then I went nuts about the drums. I'm not the greatest drummer, but it's just fun. Why not to do it throughout the concert, to experience that?
What do you want the fans to get out of the documentary portion of Live & Off the Record?
Shakira: It's funny that I let a camera crew hang out with me for so long, because I try to keep my private life away from gossip and sensationalist journalism and all that. The documentary is a window that I opened to my fans so they could get to understand me more. I think my fans are gonna get to experience and taste what it's like to be on tour and be Shakira. And it's exhausting to be Shakira, I tell you!
How do you stay fit enough to do a high-energy show like that?
Shakira: What keeps me really fit is moving around, dancing, and jumping up and down on the stage. But I'm very lazy about training or getting on a bicycle for an hour. I just don't have the patience! So usually when I'm not on the road, I gain a little weight. You might notice that now! I also try not to eat so many carbs, especially at night. But I'm not always that good.
What's your diet like?
Shakira: I always try to kind of eat in a balanced way. I became vegetarian not too long ago. But I quit! [Laughs] It only lasted two months.
Why did you decide to go vegan?
Shakira: Right after the tour was over, I spent a few months in Spain on a farm. The guy who sells the bread in the town next to my farm gave me three chickens and a rooster. I felt so attached to those chickens that I was thinking, "Oh my God, I'm never gonna eat chicken again! These chickens are my friends!" I gave them names and everything. Then I said, "OK, why eat chickens just because I don't know them?"
So what happened?
Shakira: Well, I haven't seen a chicken in a long time � I mean, alive. That's why I'm not vegetarian any more.
How important is your sense of style to you as an artist?
Shakira: I don't have so many costume changes as many pop artists do onstage, because I'm lazy! I'm not as interested in fashion as people might think. I'm actually going through a phase where I want to free myself from all the pressure that the media puts on you.
How are you going to do that?
Shakira: I feel that once I release this next album, it's going to be a much smoother ride for me. I'm ready to be more authentic. When I first tried to crossover to America, I was a little nervous. I was like the new girl at school who wants to fit in. But I don't feel like that anymore. I feel like the Americans gave me space and I want to continue occupying that space. I want to be myself. I'm trying to be as honest as I can.
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