Many people might not know what the Super Bowl, an American sporting event is, but they would for sure know the half time performance that was all the rage yesterday.
To understand how big this event is, I would compare the Super Bowl to the World Cup cricket match in India. And it’s a big deal to many of the sports loving people of the United States of America.
But most of us just knew it from how the halftime performance that was given yesterday by Jennifer Lopez, aka J-Lo and Shakira went.
Both the pop stars performed for a combined duration of 14 minutes with some of their biggest hits.
However, more than just giving a good performance it was how the two artists showed the power of the Latin people in America and how they were just as much a citizen of the country as any other.
US Immigration Issues?
While Shakira’s performance had more cultural elements to it, J-Lo’s was more overtly political, or at least that is how many people are seeing it as.
Representatives of the artists have till yet not clarified if they were actually making a political statement or not, but the actions seem to be speaking loud enough.
J-Lo who is from Puerto Rican descent, towards the end of the performance came out wearing the flag of her native place. It must be observed that the Puerto Rican flag greatly resembles the official American flag.
One could take this as a statement that even people from her hometown are just as American as any body else.
J-Lo’s 11 year old daughter, Emme Maribel Muñiz, also made an appearance at the stage and belted out a few lines of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.,” and her mother’s “Let’s Get Loud” songs.
J-Lo frequently during her performance cried out ‘Latinos’ and ‘Americans’ further signifying how both these are one and the same, a sentiment that not many in the US share.
In another interesting comment, a choir of children led by J-Lo’s daughter were seen sitting underneath lit-up structures that looked like cages.
Many people thought it could be pointing at the
Many people noticed this and commented on it:
https://twitter.com/ananavarro/status/1224141473119186944
https://twitter.com/jbillinson/status/1224142680193687553
J Lo and Shakira n their half time show
— Ceci (@neufferceci) February 3, 2020
reminded all of us, children are still n cages.
We must never forget.
It is a humanitarian crisis to have just one child
ripped from the arms of his or mother &
put in a cage.
We must protect all children regardless of their
skin color. https://t.co/RVwTM5LZCD pic.twitter.com/bwH4jhVoOS
https://twitter.com/Star1719875812/status/1224336631974334472
Props to Jlo, Shakira and/or the choreographer for the necessary statement with Latino children in cages singing""Born in the USA". #SuperBowl #SuperBowl #PepsiHalftime pic.twitter.com/gyQDsmXo3l
— Tom Moore (@tom_moore_104) February 3, 2020
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8FmlKRH2VA/?utm_source=ig_embed
Read More: ‘Kameeni, Bhangi, Habshi’: Our Everyday Language Normalises Caste Discrimination & We’re All Guilty
Power Of The Latin People
Frankly, if nothing else this performance certainly showed the power of Latin people and women who are embracing their culture without shame.
JLo & Shakira’s performance was an unforgettable one and more than just gyrating hips and age defying looks, it also gave insight into their Latin talent.
Where J-Lo could have been making some political statements, Shakira on the other hand was seen uplifting her heritage and culture.
Shakira who has both Spanish and Lebanese roots was seen singing several songs in her native language instead of English. Her performance also incorporated Arab instruments like the mijwiz and derbeke and belly dancing into her routine.
She also added the Champeta, a dance from her hometown in Barranquilla, Colombia into her performance along with a ‘tongue thing’.
Some people have come out and explained its cultural significance with some saying it is a zaghrouta, a sound that Middle Eastern and North African women often make to express joy or positive emotion and comes from her Lebanese side while others have said it comes from her Colombian side and is related to the Carnaval de Barranquilla.
Two popular Latin artists Bad Bunny and J Balvin, along with a mariachi band Los Tigres Del Norte also were part of the Super bowl Halftime performance.
"For once, an Arabic expression of utter delight, not the violent stereotypes that plague American TV and movies, was on one of our biggest national stages. And next to no one recognized it." https://t.co/XJJ9VmlB89
— Louisa Loveluck (@leloveluck) February 4, 2020
Chiming in because I know everyone will be making jokes about this for days — this is a popular Arab tradition, called zaghrouta, used to express joy at celebrations. In the melting pot that is Miami, you could not have picked a better Super Bowl act and this was a lovely touch. https://t.co/q1H9l8UpQ5
— Lulu Ramadan (@luluramadan) February 3, 2020
as a feminist, I loved the empowering message that the super bowl half time show sent to women (specifically minority women) across the country. as a gay, I loved the super bowl half time show bc it made me horny
— frat dad (@frattydad) February 3, 2020
Frankly, it was good to see Latins being represented in such a positive way on a national level. Usually most of the news attached to them is quite grim in nature with it being about crimes, tragedies, illegal immigration and more.
Another reason this was a big moment for the Latin people of America is because this was the first time that two Latin women were the headliners for the Super Bowl halftime show.
A NY Times review of the performance said that, “Yet the halftime show was also a no-nonsense affirmation of Latin pride and cultural diversity, in a political climate where immigrants and American Latinos have been widely demonized.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The New York Times, CNN
Find the blogger @chirali_08
