Before Shakira became known for her belly dancing moves, Middle Eastern-inspired pop, and arguably the most memorable FIFA World Cup song, she was Latin America’s answer to Alanis Morissette.
The Colombian-Lebanese singer began performing from an early age; by 13, she signed her first record deal with Sony Colombia. But despite her early start, Shakira’s rise to fame wasn’t sudden. Her first album, Magia, only sold around 1,000 copies. Its 1993 follow-up, Peligro, didn’t fare much better, either. Disillusioned, she gave acting a try, starring in the teen telenovela El Oasis. When the show ended in 1994, Shakira returned to the studio, giving music another go. With a more mature approach to her artistry, Shakira finally found her voice, and her 1995 record, Pies Descalzos, became a hit in Latin America, peaking at #3 on the US Billboard Latin Pop Albums chart and eventually becoming certified platinum.
She had won over Latin America, but now she needed to enter the mainstream, tapping into the US market. Thus came Dónde Están Los Ladrones?, an album that celebrates both Shakira’s Colombian and Lebanese roots while also tapping into her “rockera” side. To take Shakira’s music to the next level, her then-publicist, Jairo Martínez, suggested that she get in touch with Emilio Estefan, who played a role in turning Latin artists like Thalia, and, of course, his wife Gloria Estefan, into global superstars. They bonded over their shared Lebanese roots (Estefan’s father was of Lebanese-Syrian descent), and Estefan could tell there was something special about her—a raw talent that was exactly what Latin pop needed.
Shakira had a clear vision of the album she wanted to create, one that would blend pop with country, alternative rock, ranchera, and Middle Eastern music. But Estefan was the only person she trusted to bring her vision to life, tapping him to co-produce the record with her. “He gave me all of the security and the confidence I needed to undertake this project, and he made available the key people who I worked with, the collaborators on this album,” she told Telehit in 1998. Estefan connected Shakira with other major artists who helped turn this into what would become her major break, including Estéfano (AKA Fabio Alonso Salgado), of the now-defunct popular duo Donato y Estéfano, who co-composed her massive hit “Ciega, Sordomuda.” With a dream team behind her, Shakira had the formula to create the perfect album, breaking barriers in pop as someone who wasn’t afraid to experiment with different sonic elements that represent her artistic identity.
While putting together Dónde Están Los Ladrones?, Shakira painstakingly went through every detail, and the result remains as beloved over 20 years later. When you hear the mariachi trumpets accompanied by the singer mimicking its tonality in the opening track “Ciega, Sordomuda,” you know you’re in for something special. But just when you think you’re going to get a ranchera-inspired melody, it transforms into an attitude-filled alternative pop-rock song. Shakira’s vocal range is striking; she seamlessly switches from ballad belts into a feral snarl. Taking inspiration from a phrase her mother would tell her growing up (“hazte la ciega, la sorda y la muda” — meaning she was making herself out to be blind, deaf, and mute by not listening to her mom), it’s about ignoring reality while being deep in infatuation. Estéfano was the right person to compose the song alongside Shakira, as his work with Donato combines elements from traditional Latin genres, such as rumba, and transforms them into contemporary pop songs.
The rock influence is particularly evident in the second track, “Si Te Vas,” with a biting message directed at an ex who has left Shakira for another woman. Its post-grunge sound is a fitting backdrop as you feel the pure rage in her vocals. It almost feels like the Spanish-language counterpart to Morissette’s “You Oughta Know,” but instead of Shakira detailing all she’s done for her former partner that will make him miss her, she points out all of the other woman’s flaws: what’s going to happen when he finds out that the one he left her for isn’t very bright? And good luck dealing with someone who doesn’t practice good hygiene and is going to take the last bit of money he has. Once he gets used to the novelty of having sex with someone new, he’ll be running back to Shakira, but she won’t stand for that.
Shakira also reveals a more vulnerable side of her heartbreak in “Inevitable,” a track that transitions from a ballad to a full-blown rock song by the time the chorus arrives. She employs the same vocal intonations that are reminiscent of Morissette, as she admits to being a mess without her former lover and doesn’t know how to break out of her depressive cycle while knowing she can’t have him back. While many critics compared Shakira to the Canadian singer when Dónde Están Los Ladrones?came out, it’s likely that Shakira wasn’t intending to emulate Morissette as much as you’d think. If anything, the comparisons may have prompted her to develop a distinctive sound, adopting the throaty vocal style for which she’s best known today. Still, there’s something about “rock Shakira” that, despite the comparisons to others, feels her own, becoming the right vehicle for her anger and wit.
The singer’s rock moments make some of the biggest standouts of the record, but when she goes pop, it’s pure magic. “No Creo” was released merely a month before Cher put out “Believe,” but it carries a similar shimmery, effervescent energy. It’s become a go-to karaoke song in Latin America for a reason: it makes you want to jump up from your seat, dance, and sing along to it. While guitars are present, they’re in the background this time, blending alt-rock influences with Latin touches, such as salsa bongos. Instead of being a straightforward pop song, Shakira approaches it with a sense of humor, declaring that she doesn’t believe in Karl Marx or Jean-Paul Sartre, just in her lover and his kisses.
“Tú,” another love song, feels the closest to a genuine ballad, as Shakira offers every part of herself—from her lips to the few brain cells she has left—to her other half. With stirring strings and Mazzy Star-like pedal steel, it’s a stunning song that shines with its simplicity. It doesn’t need the bombastic rock-heavy melodies to draw you in. She takes on a similar country-tinged arrangement in “Sombra De Ti,” using slide guitar to amplify her lovelorn emotions.
The country-inspired flourishes continue in the title track, but rather than being presented in gentle instrumentation, Shakira utilizes the Western theme to sing about the modern outlaw, one who blends in with the crowd and gets away with their crimes. While appearing on “Hot Ones” in 2024, she told host Sean Evans that before writing what would become Dónde Están Los Ladrones?, she had handwritten the lyrics to a full album. When she arrived at the airport in Bógota, her dad’s briefcase, which contained all the songs, was seemingly stolen. While starting from scratch and creating a new record was destiny, as this became Shakira’s breakout album, she still felt resentment towards the situation. The way Shakira was able to push past this roadblock to create what, at the time, was her best work yet is what demonstrates her immense dedication. She could’ve seen it as a sign that Pies Descalzos would be a one-off hit and give up, but instead, she took this opportunity to fine-tune her next batch of songs, making sure that the hard work would pay off.
Dónde Están Los Ladrones? closes with a hint of what’s to come, bridging the path between “rock Shakira” to “hip-shaking pop sensation Shakira” in the track “Ojos Así.” Renowned Puerto Rican DJ Pablo Flores had created a track alongside his music partner, Javier Garza, featuring a Middle Eastern rhythm, and given it to Estefan, who in turn showed it to Shakira. She had been wanting to pay tribute to her Lebanese heritage, and while Flores’ track wasn’t exactly what she was looking for, it was close enough for Shakira to decide to work with Flores and Garza on co-composing and producing what would become “Ojos Así.”
While it was new territory for Shakira to incorporate her Middle Eastern roots into her music, the result is a show-stopping track that became one of her biggest hits and made history as the first modern Arabic-Latin pop hit. It features oud, strings, accordion, and finger bells, performed by Middle Eastern musicians who bring a touch of authenticity to the song, while also including a verse in Arabic. It’s an awe-inspiring pop song, one that showcases the sheer brilliance of being unafraid to combine genres to create something fresh and revolutionary. It became so massive that Gloria Estefan convinced Shakira to make an English version for her following album, Laundry Service, which the Cuban singer helped her translate.
Dónde Están Los Ladrones? went on to be nominated for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Performance at the 1999 Grammys and peaked at #131 on the Billboard 200. It turned Shakira into an international superstar for good reason. She was ahead of her time with a genre-bending sound that would go on to define 21st-century pop, without ever compromising her artistic vision.
Tatiana Tenreyro is Paste‘s associate music editor, based in New York City. You can also find her writing at SPIN, NME, PAPER Magazine, The A.V. Club, and other outlets.
