#496: Shakira - Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998)

The Abrahams a here with album #496: Donde Estan Los Ladrones by the Colombian superstar Shakira. Abraham (Chenzie) and AbraHAM (Guy) are surprised to discover that before she was the blonde, hip-shaking global icon, Shakira was a "raven-haired guitar rocker" who sounded suspiciously like a Spanish Avril Lavigne.

They dive into the "logic" of the Rolling Stone blurb (if hips can't speak, can they lie?), the story of the stolen suitcase that inspired the album's title, and the unique fusion of Colombian rock and middle eastern grooves. But overall, this episode is just a one big Shakira appreciation session: her songwriting chops, production instincts and that instantly recognizable voice

Is this album a masterpiece of "Rock en Español" or just a collection of Alanis Morissette b-sides? Why are her hands so dirty on the cover? And how does a discussion about vocal techniques spiral into a dark tangent about a Japanese yodeler's potential connection to the Hitler Youth?

In This Episode

• (00:00:00) - Welcome to The Abraham Records
• (00:01:20) - This Week's Album: #496, Shakira - Donde Estan Los Ladrones
• (00:02:32) - Roasting the Blurb: The Logical Fallacy of "Never-Lying Hips"
• (00:05:37) - Cultural Fusion: Combining Colombian Roots with Lebanese Heritage (and Belly Dancing)
• (00:09:17) - Deep Dive: The Album Art & The "Stolen Suitcase" Origin Story
• (00:11:39) - The career bridge convo: Emilio Estefan, the pivot toward English, and Laundry Service
• (00:14:42) - Shakira as a Songwriter: More than just a Pop Diva
• (00:16:45) - Genre Analysis: Is "Rock en Español" just Avril Lavigne in Spanish?
• (00:18:40) - 1998 Context: Dana International's Eurovision Win & The Era of Britney
• (00:23:20) - Track Attack: "Inevitable" (The Vulnerable Ballad)
• (00:25:07) - Track Attack: "Octavo Día" (prog-rock edge, rubato feel, vocal flexing)
• (00:26:54) - Vocal Analysis: The "Shakira Yodel," Jack Black, and Intentional Voice Cracks
• (00:30:15) - Track Attack: "Ojos Así" (The Middle Eastern Beach Party)
• (00:32:05) - Final verdict: recommended, but not Top-500 material
• (00:34:25) - Tangent corner: Japanese yodeling lore (because… of course)
• (00:37:16) - Field test: playing the album at the office (coworkers be grooving)
• (00:41:47) - Fun Facts: Shakira's Real Name & Her Father, William Mubarak
• (00:44:10) - Next week: Boyz II Men (it’s time to "man up")

About The Abraham Records

Welcome to The Abraham Records, where we cover the 500 “greatest” albums of all time according to Rolling Stone Magazine, but certainly not according to us.

Join us on an odyssey of discovery to determine which albums are truly great and which ones will hurt your face.

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