arts, culture, entertainment and media

Shakira draws 2 million to Copacabana Beach for free concert in Rio

• Shakira performed a free concert on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach on Saturday night, drawing a crowd of 2 million people, according to Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere.
• The event was part of Shakira’s “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” world tour and the latest in a series of city-sponsored mega-events designed to boost Rio’s post-Carnival economy.
• City Hall and the tourism agency Riotur estimated the concert could generate around 777 million reais (about $155 million) for the local economy, thanks to increased spending on hotels, restaurants, and shops.
• Shakira, who first visited Brazil at age 18, celebrated women’s resilience during the show, telling the crowd, “every time we fall we get up a little wiser.”
• Fans and scholars said the performance reinforced Brazil’s cultural connections with the rest of Latin America, with attendee Hellem Souza da Silva noting that artists like Shakira “are making it clear that Brazil … is part of Latin America.”