Shakira honored with 21-foot bronze statue in her hometown in Colombia

A 21-foot tall bronze statue of Shakira was unveiled in her home city of Barranquilla, Colombia, this week. 

The multi-Grammy Award winner was honored with a statue resembling her signature pose from her "Hips Don't Lie" music video. At its base, the monument has a plaque paying tribute to her contributions. 

"A heart that composes, hips that do not lie, an unmatched talent, a voice that moves masses and feet that march for the good of children and humanity," it said. 

"This is too much for my little heart," Shakira, 46, said in a social media post about the dedication. 

The international pop star said she was happy to have her parents in attendance at the ceremony on the day of her mother's birthday. She thanked the statue's sculptor, Yino Marquez, and students of a local arts school for their display of "enormous artistic talent of people from my land." 

Marquez told Colombian television network RCN TV at the unveiling that more than 30 people worked on the statue, and they completed it in five months, Reuters reported.

"If you look at it closely, her dress transforms into waves that were made of aluminium," he said. "They are symbols of the message I wanted to portray. It's the river and the sea because Shakira is the river and the sea, she's Barranquilla."

The city's mayor said the statue isn't just an homage to Shakira, but a "message to all the girls and teenagers of Barranquilla and the Caribbean." 

"They can dream big and achieve it," Barranquilla Mayor Jaime Pumarejo told RCN TV. "She conquered what she imagined. She turned into the most important Spanish-language singer and she taught herself how to speak English. She has showed us great feats can be done in the Colombian Caribbean." 

Shakira has won three Grammy Awards, for best Latin pop album twice and best Latin rock/alternative album. The "Queen of Latin Music" also has the second most Latin Grammys of any female artist, with 14 total. 

But she has recently faced legal troubles. Last month, Shakira struck a last-minute deal on the opening day of her tax fraud trial in Barcelona to avoid the risk of going to prison. Under the deal, Shakira is to receive a suspended three-year sentence and pay a fine of 7.3 million euros ($8 million). She will pay another fine of 432,000 euros ($472,000) in exchange for her sentence waived.