“As a Colombian, Shakira has always been an inspiration and somebody very dear to me. I’ve been practicing Shakira’s moves since I was very young. Growing up in Colombia, she was the biggest thing, and we were all so excited about her. She’s such an amazing, unique and iconic figure in rock music,” says Madison-area musician Angela Puerta.
Puerta leads an electrifying Madison-based tribute band called “Hips Don’t Lie,” named after one of Shakira’s most famous songs, and she and her group have been delivering an authentic and captivating rendition of Shakira’s greatest hits at concerts and festivals. The five-piece ensemble will bring their act to the High Noon Saloon on Madison’s near east side on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 8 p.m..
The origin of the Hips Don’t Lie band took place about three years ago, when Puerta was part of a musical tribute to women at the Majestic Theater called “RESPECT – A Celebration of Women in Music.” Puerta had previously been a part of the show performing as the famous Cuban singer Celia Cruz, and the organizers were checking in with her to see if she was ready to do it again.
“They called me two weeks before the event and there was not much time for preparation. I knew my safe route would be to do the Celia Cruz tribute again. I had always done her,” Puerta remembers. “But on the other hand, I really wanted to try something new, and I always had it in the back of my mind how much I loved Shakira.
“I knew this was something I could do. I felt like everything really fit with her vocal range and her accent. And I want to add something that is from myself, too,” she adds. “I feel like I’m honoring and representing her music but also my country and my culture, too.”
And with that, her tribute to Shakira, the highest-grossing Latin artist in history, was born.
“I love Shakira. I knew she was hard to imitate because you have to know the two languages – English and Spanish and you have to know how to dance, and you have to have a good, physical performance, stamina to do everything she does, and a powerful voice,” Puerta says.
“I grew up listening ot her music and was a big fan and I knew all her songs and I was like, ‘Why don’t I just risk it?’”
Puerta says that she practiced like crazy for two weeks, began watching Shakira videos and bought some Shakira-type outfits from Amazon Prime. “It was only three songs, so I knew I could do it … The songs were ‘Hips Don’t Lie,’ ‘Loca,’ and ‘Waka Waka.'”
Her performance at the Majestic was a big success, and the crowd loved it. She soon decided she needed to take it to the next level and developed the Hips Don’t Lie band, bringing together a diverse group of talented musicians that includes Joshua Velazquez, originally from Puerto Rico, on bass; Kyle Rightley, originally from Colorado, on guitar; Dave Randall, from Lake Geneva, on drums; and Johan Galindo, who is also from Colombia, on congas.
In late September, the group performed in front of a big crowd at the annual Willy Street Fair in Madison. “I don’t perform very often because I feel like it needs a big stage and a lot of preparation,” Puerta says.
For Saturday’s event, Puerta says that the band will deliver an authentic and captivating rendition of Shakira’s greatest hits.
“For the High Noon Saloon, we have 29 songs. Most of the Shakira songs last three minutes, so we keep them going one after another to keep things colorful and spicy,” Puerta says. “I will have to find a good mix of slow pace [songs] and then bump it up and get people dancing. The High Noon show is going to be awesome with the big screens, videos and light shows. I have a lot of outfit changes, too.”
With an emphasis on anthemic melodies and a commitment to faithfully replicating Shakira’s signature sound and dance, Hips Don’t Lie covers an array of beloved songs, including “Loca,” “Waka Waka,” “Whenever, Wherever,” and, of course, the band’s namesake, “Hips Don’t Lie.”
The line-up is heavy on her hit songs in English, which are plenty, but it’s also important to remember her initial rise to fame, Puerta says, with those first few albums in Spanish when Shakira was still a teenager, becoming a superstar.
“We have a lot of people who really love those first few albums when she was young and sang in Spanish. But when I started the tribute band here in Madison, I was like, ‘Let’s do all the famous songs in English.’ She has so many popular songs where she sings in English. But then people started to ask me, ‘What about the classics?’ So I made sure that we did plenty of those songs, too.”
On Saturday night at the High Noon Saloon, there will be a Shakira look-alike contest for the attendees at the show, and the winner will get a gift certificate of $50 from La Taguara Venezuelan Restaurant.
Saturday’s performance will kick off at 8 p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets are available by clicking here or at the Sylvee box office during its business hours.
