The fact that Shakira is one of the most successful singers of the last decades is indisputable. Very few people do not recognize her most emblematic songs, such as the famous Hips do n't lie, Whenever, wherever or the very famous Waka Waka. But the truth is that there was a time when the singer, like everyone else, had a normal life, far from stardom and the media spotlight. More than 30 years ago, a very young Shakira was pursuing her dream of being a music star. Long before she met Gerard Piqué and moved to Barcelona, something united the singer with the city of Barcelona.
In 1991, 'Shak' was still unknown and her uncle, who was looking for a representative in Spain, gave a promotional cassette of the Colombian singer to an entertainment agent in Barcelona. However, this agent told the artist's uncle that he was not interested in him, but he has kept this "jewel" for more than 30 years. At that time, Jaume Estruch, today the director of Barcelona Animació, had no idea what a piece of artist that young woman he rejected would be in the future.
Jaume had the representative office in the Guinardó neighborhood, in the same building where Shakira's uncle lived. "One day my neighbor came down to see me in the office to tell me that his niece was a singer in Colombia and was looking for a representative in Spain. I kindly told him that I was not interested, but I kept the cassette," Estruch recounts, in a statement for EFE.
The tape, which had a cover in which the artist appears leaning against a tree, contained nine songs that corresponded to the album Magia, a work that the interpreter of Suerte released when she was only 14 years old. That album includes songs composed by her such as Sueños, Cazador de amor, Gafas oscuras or I need you. A harbinger of all that was to come: in the future, 13 Latin Grammy Awards and 3 Grammy Awards and one of the most successful musical careers of recent times.
During all these years, in which the Colombian has become a world star, she has kept this tape. However, Estruch has now decided to sell the cassette on the Malaga portal Todocoleccion.net. "I like Shakira, but I'm not a fan, and I'm sure there's someone who might be interested," says Estruch, who has set a price of 1,200 euros for the tape. An object that can be of great interest to collectors or fans of the singer.
This artistic representative was 31 years old when he missed the opportunity to promote Shakira's career in Spain. "These are things that happen, an anecdote on the way," he now assures the aforementioned medium, although he admits that sometimes he has thought that "he could still be there" with her. She "was very young and Colombian, I didn't see anything clear (the business)," says the businessman, who recalled that that year, taking advantage of the pull of the song I hope it rains coffee by Juan Luis Guerra, they did bring a Cuban orchestra, who was on tour for six months in Spain performing songs by the Dominican, as well as Rubén Blades and Celia Cruz.
The singer's uncle's visit to her office occurred at "a time when Sony released the album in Colombia and, seeing that it didn't work, her parents began to move things around." That debut album was "disastrous" commercially and few units were sold; then she "didn't coo" that characterizes her, but the artist kept trying and "another manager told her to change her record," she says.
Years passed. Jaume Estruch and his wife Ruth did not give "more importance" to the visit of his neighbor. However, over the years, the artist began to have worldwide success and they realized that the voice recorded on that almost forgotten tape was that of Shakira herself, with whom they had been able to collaborate so long ago.
Several years after receiving the cassette, the singer from Barranquilla released her third album. Barefoot, which was the beginning of a successful musical career that continues today. Years have passed and songs like Loca, Can't remember to forget you or What's done is done have become very successful songs, or more recently, the Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53 or TQG (You got big).
As far as Estruch is concerned, the businessman has continued to work as an artistic representative and organizer of events, and currently has offices in Barcelona and Andorra and manages various artists, including the magician Joaquín Matas. Both of their careers have evolved, albeit separately, despite the fact that they had the opportunity to work together.
