Watch Shakira Surprise Carlos Vives Onstage and Sing the Song He Wrote For Her
Shakira, 46, made a surprise appearance during Carlos Vives‘ Miami concert at Kaseya Center on Saturday night. So surprising, in fact, that Vives didn’t even know about it. As he later described on Instagram, “I am still trembling. I’m in shock!” Same.
Shakira’s appearance at the concert made waves on social media, with many audience members calling the moment “magical.” Sure, singers often bring fellow artists up onstage during concerts. But are the singers ever just as surprised as the audience? No, but that’s just proof of Shakira’s goddess energy.
As one audience member wrote on X, “Shakira made a surprise appearance at Carlos Vives’ concert, I happily paid for this concert ticket.” Another concertgoer described, “Carlos Vives was singing when suddenly Shakira appeared as a surprise, and the Kaseya Center almost collapsed!”
Backstage, Shakira described the importance of Vives’ friendship to her life: “He’s been there for me in the most difficult moments of my life… It was the least I could do for him.”
Here’s everything to know about Shakira’s surprise concert appearance singing “La Bicicleta” with Vives, and her beautiful words backstage for her Colombian compatriota.
Shakira surprised Carlos Vives during his Miami concert: “He didn’t know anything”
Vives posted on X about the moment that gave us all piel de gallina, saying he was still “in shock.”
The video posted by the 62-year-old singer shows Shakira getting ready to surprise him backstage. She explains, “I’ve never done this before,” and dances for the camera in excitement. Later, she walks up onstage and motions to the crowd to stay quiet so she can surprise Vives.
However, it was pretty difficult to control the crowd from screaming once they saw the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer… and we get it:
Shakira begins singing “La Bicicleta” into the microphone, which prompts Vives to finally notice she is onstage with him. The Santa Marta, Colombia-born singer is clearly very surprised, running around the stage and seeming at a loss for words.
Eventually, though, Vives regains his composure and starts singing “La Bicicleta” with his friend and fellow singer. The two gave a rousing performance that screamed Colombian pride— and sent the Miami crowd into a frenzy. We’re obsessed with the two stars’ emotional embrace, their dancing, and the sheer joy of it all.
Later, Shakira tells Vives onstage: “You didn’t expect it.” Vives replied, “Let me enjoy this moment,” as he took the moment in. Later, the “Loba” singer explained to the crowd, “He didn’t know anything. Not even [his] wife knew!”
In a backstage video, you can see Shakira getting pumped with her team before surprising Vives. She tells the camera, “I’m going to surprise Carlos Vives. I’m going to appear onstage. I haven’t told anyone, the only people that know are [a few] managers. I’m going to sing ‘La Bicicleta.'”
“I haven’t even practiced,” the singer revealed. “I haven’t done anything, I was working all day, got dressed, and I came to Kaseya center.” A hardworking queen!
As one X user wrote about the video, “Seeing Shakira so happy and radiant fills my heart.”
Shakira also danced to “Currambera” onstage and spoke about her and Vives’ beautiful friendship
Apart from singing “La Bicicleta” with Vives, Shakira also danced to the Colombian singer’s track “Currambera”— which he actually wrote for her.
You can see the Barranquilla-born star living her best life dancing onstage, giving new meaning to the song’s lyrics: “Barranquilleras dance so well.” Shakira’s hips? Still not lying:
Vives dedicated “Currambera” to Shakira back in February 2022 for her 45th birthday, writing on Instagram at the time: “‘Currambera’ is a gift for you from all your people, from your city [Barranquilla], from your country, from all the people that love you.”
“You are Barranquilla,” he told his friend and musical peer.
“It’s the best gift anyone has ever given me,” Shakira replied in a clip, reacting to the song’s music video. “I’m very emotional. For you to honor my country, my people.” The singer can later be seen crying while watching the video… and we’re crying, too:
One X user wrote about seeing Shakira dancing to “Currambera” live onstage this past weekend. “Seeing Shakira smiling and happy dancing the song Carlos Vives made for her, ‘Currambera,’ has no price. That woman deserves it all.”
Our hearts are exploding:
Backstage, Shakira spoke about the importance of Vives’ incredible friendship. “He has been there for me in the most difficult times of my life. When I lost my voice, he asked all the Indigenous groups of the area to pray for me.”
“He always called me to ask me how I was doing,” the 46-year-old singer recalled. “When I got separated, [he would call me] everyday, [asking] ‘How are you?’ It’s the least I could do [for him].”
One of the best parts of the night? Shakira brought along her son Milan, 10, to watch her beautiful performance with Vives:
As one X user wrote about Shakira’s wonderful surprise, “In the middle of so much anguish, what happened yesterday in Miami was so emotional!” They also described the two singers as “a healing balm for Colombia.”
One more thing. If you ever wondered how Shakira and Vives were going to sing that line about Gerard Piqué, 36, in “La Bicicleta” post-separation, they apparently changed the word “Piqué” to “ese tipo.” Good to know!
