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The issue of national identity is one of the fascinating aspects that has emerged in contemporary times. In her article, Cepeda draws the case study of Shakira as a famous ideal individual whose national image transits as she moves from Colombia, where she has her roots, into the United States, where she gains her new identity. According to Cepeda, transition in terms of national identity implies that an individual has to sacrifice one dimension of his or her identity as he or she embraces the other; “… full citizenship and cultural visibility appear to be inversely related (214).” However, Shakira seems to defy these odds and maintains her unique, varied distinctiveness. Therefore, despite claiming an inverse association between old culture and new nationality, it is possible to maintain a divergent lifestyle equally integrating both qualities.
Shakira maintains a unique multiple positioning as she has an extensively diverse cultural and national identity. Having been born and raised in Colombia, she had a strong foundation in Latin America. Her life in Latin America greatly impacts her singing and songwriting talents due to her association with rock music from Colombian bands (Cepeda 212). However, as she moves to America, she excels in establishing her life as a United States (US) citizen and establishing a strong cultural presence as a US Latina. Her success in rock music proves how diverse she is as she magnifies her talents in the new cultural environment. The fact that she is a popular performer, female, Caribbean-Colombian, Lebanese-Colombian, and recent US emigrant at the time of publication sums up her multiple special positions (Cepeda 213). Therefore, the possibility of maintaining an extensive national and cultural image is evident.
The success of Shakira in terms of her music is the first real evidence that a single individual can maintain multiple cultures and nationalities. The number of fans among Colombian Latinos and US Latinos proves that she belongs to both groups successfully. Critics and proponents of her work both argue that her music has been able to surpass the boundaries between “Anglo” vs “Latino” musical spaces (Cepeda 217). Interestingly, her albums span a great base of languages since most have included English, Arabic, Portuguese, and Spanish (Cepeda 221). The overlap reveals the success in her extensive identity because her music is popular both among Latinos and non-Latinos.
Other than her success in music, she has also been able to develop a unique image characterized by her fanbase’s nature. In the mainstream media, she is considered the spearhead of rock music. However, she successfully proves that she is an emblem of other beliefs pioneered by other genres of music. For instance, she identifies herself as an active voice of women, which implies that her work is geared towards diversifying culture and nationality and addressing gender concerns. Being a popular celebrity, Shakira’s diversity is essential because she unites various people through her wide association with different groups. She acts as a symbol of unity important in a diverse country such as the US.
In summary, it is possible to transcend the boundaries of national, social, and cultural identity, as shown in the case of Shakira. However, it is important to acknowledge the complexity and pressure from different factions of society, especially when an individual is popular. Therefore, countering the argument that nationalism and culture are inversely proportional is possible. Possibly, human beings can maintain a spectrum of social, cultural, and national qualities given a chance.
Work Cited
Cepeda, María E. “Shakira as the Idealized, Transnational Citizen: A case study of Colombianidad in Transition.” Latino Studies, vol. 1, no. 2, 2003, pp. 211-232.
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