Tour Pies Descalzos

The Tour Pies Descalzos was the debut concert tour by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, launched to promote her third studio album Pies descalzos (1995). She visited many Latin American venues and some in the United States and Spain. The tour began on 6 October 1995 in Bogotá, Colombia and concluded on 10 October 1997 in Bogotá.^[1][2] The long series of highly popular performances on three continents contributed to the establishment of Shakira as a major international artist early in her career.^[3][4]

Shakira had her first official concert on 6 October 1995, the date of the release of the Pies Descalzos album, in Teatro Nacional La Castellana in Bogotá.^[5][6][7] She started performing in black boots, but kicked them off before singing "Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos" ('bare feet, white dreams').^[8]

On the tour, Shakira performed songs from Pies Descalzos and, only in Colombia, songs from her earlier albums, "Tú Serás la Historia de Mi Vida" from Peligro (1993) and the title track of the album Magia (1991). "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?" was presented only in some concerts. In Guatemala, a scandal arose as those attending demanded a show with pre-recorded audio. The 1996 concerts in Ecuador were filmed and broadcast on national television.^[9] Among high-attendance recorded performances were also the shows in Mexico City (including on 22 November 1996 at Auditorio Nacional, attended by 10,000 spectators),^[10][11] and in Chile (part of the 1997 Viña del Mar International Song Festival).^[12] Luis Fernando Ochoa, co-author of songs on Pies Descalzos album, was responsible for music and artistic production during the tour, with Shakira's co-production. Besides singing, dancing and speaking to the assembled, Shakira played the guitar and, prominently at that time, harmonica. Her singing and movements reflected an "angry-young-woman-rock attitude",^[13] enthusiastically applauded by the audiences. "Vuelve" was the opening rock anthem salvo at concerts of the tour.

On 16 August 1996, Shakira had a concert in Barranquilla at Romelio Martínez Stadium, the first in her hometown,^[14] accompanied by Argentine rock band Vilma Palma e Vampiros. As hundreds of fans tried to enter the venue without tickets, a stampede resulted.^[15] Three people were killed and there were over one hundred injuries. In a separate incident, a girl committed suicide by ingesting cyanide in her house because her family did not allow her to attend the concert.^{[16][17][18][19]} Shakira, who was informed about what had happened only after the show, talked about the tragedy later in Brazil: "It was a very sad event in my life. There are never enough words to describe sad moments. Three people died at that show. It was quite difficult to accept, to assimilate. I found out after the concert was over. It was really, really hard. I even said that if something like that happened again, I wouldn't have the courage to go on stage again. I hope something like that never happens again, not in my career or in that of any other artist. It's not pleasant to remember."^[15][17]

1. "Vuelve"
2. "Quiero"
3. "Un Poco de Amor"
4. "Te Espero Sentada"
5. "Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos"
6. "Pienso en Ti"
7. "Antología"
8. "Se Quiere, Se Mata"
9. “Estoy Aquí”
10. “Te Necesito”
11. "Magia"
12. "Tú Serás la Historia de Mi Vida"
13. "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?"

Notes

• "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?" was only performed on select dates.
• "Magia" and "Tú Serás la Historia de Mi Vida" were only performed in Colombia.