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Ojos As
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Ojos As
| cover = Shakira - Ojos As.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Shakira
| album = Dnde Estn los Ladrones?
| released =
| recorded = 1998; Crescent Moon Studios
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Arabic pop
| length =
| label = Sony Latin
| writer =
| producer = Emilio Estefan
| prev_title = No Creo
| prev_year = 1999
| next_title = Moscas en la Casa
| next_year = 1999
| misc =
}}
"'Ojos As'" ('"Eyes Like That"') is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira for her fourth studio album 'Dnde Estn los Ladrones?' (1998). It was released on 23 July 1999 by Sony Latin as the seventh single from the record. The song was written by Shakira, Pablo Flores, and Javier Garza, while production was handled by Emilio Estefan. Musically, "Ojos As" incorporates elements of Arabic pop and world music. An English-language translation titled "'Eyes Like Yours'" was included on Shakira's fifth studio album and first English-language record 'Laundry Service' (2001).
The track reached numbers 9 and 22 on the U.S. 'Billboard' Latin Pop Songs and Latin Songs component charts, respectively. It reached the peak position on the Romanian Singles Chart, and performed moderately in other European territories. The song has additionally been performed during six of the seven concert tours Shakira has held to date.
Background and composition
"Ojos As" contains interludes of Arabic chants. It is based in the Phrygian dominant scale to help lend to the song's Arabian feel. Shakira herself sings in Arabic in the song. Bahrain and Beirut are mentioned in the lyrics to reflect Shakira's background having lived in Bahrain and attended school there and being part Lebanese.
"Ojos As" became extremely popular in Latin American countries and is one of Shakira's biggest hits in Spanish. It was also one of Shakira's smash hits in Romania.
Shakira's 2001 English language debut album, 'Laundry Service', features an English version of the song titled "Eyes Like Yours". It contains no differences from "Ojos As" besides each song's respective language (both still feature the Arabic). The rough, yet literal (in most places) translation of "Ojos As" was written by Shakira and Gloria Estefan. "Eyes Like Yours" has an unreleased music video that was filmed around the same time as "Ojos As"'s (as Shakira looks the same in both videos). A clip of this unseen video was released on a promotional CD for 'Laundry Service', only a minute in length, and containing very few shots of Shakira singing in English.
Music video
The music video for "Ojos As" features Shakira performing the song for a crowd, shooting in Los Angeles. In the background is a giant neon eye, which shoots out sparks and catches fire toward the end of the video. There are also clips of Shakira belly dancing in front of a dark purple background, standing in water. In these clips, there are snakes painted down her arms and red lines painted on her head. The video uses the "Single Mix" version of the song (though versions of the video with the album mix also exist). Featured instruments in the video include an Arabic string instrument with a bowl under the head, and a Danelectro Longhorn electric bass guitar. Shakira's long-time musical partner and band manager Tim Mitchell can be seen playing guitar in the video. The video won the International Viewer's Choice Award (North) at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, while it was also nominated for the same award in the South category and for a Latin Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.
On 24 April 2012, thirteen years after release, a widescreen version of the music video surfaced online. Uploaded by the video's director, Mark Kohr, on video sharing site Vimeo, this new version reveals more of the original picture and also include several short but noticeable scene cuts that were not shown on the original 4:3 aspect ratio version.
Live performances
festival in 2008.
In order to promote "Ojos As", Shakira performed the song at Mexican television program 'Al Fin de Semana'. Shakira performed the song during her 'MTV Unplugged' performance at the Grand Ballroom in New York City, on 12 August 1999. It was completely re-worked for the performance, and included an extended introduction after the main Middle Eastern beginning, and even a dance break with Middle Eastern drums, eliminating Shakira singing in Arabic at the same time. The performance was later included on the 'MTV Unplugged' release. In November 1999, Shakira performed "Ojos As" on the Miss Colombia 1999 election, closing the event. Shakira included the song on her 2000 Tour Anfibio, being performed as an encore. She also performed "Ojos As" on the first-ever Latin Grammy Awards on 13 September 2000, giving a "wildly" choreographed performance against a 'Survivor'-like backdrop of tiki torches and images of water as she writhed about in a red pantsuit. It was the opening number of her 200203 Tour of the Mongoose, with Shakira wearing tight black leather pants, a black belly dancing scarf, and a black bra. The performance of the song was included on the 'Live & off the Record' live release in 2004.
Shortly before the start of her tour, Shakira performed the song during the Rock in Rio festival in Lisbon, Portugal, on 26 May 2006. "Ojos As" was included on her 200607 Oral Fixation Tour as an encore. It sampled the Arabic tune "Enta Omri" by Egyptian singer Om Kalthoum at the beginning of the performance, when Shakira danced with a veil. Shakira would wear purple pants, a hip scarf, and a silver or rainbow bra. One of the bras worn by Shakira during the tour was auctioned for $3,000 dollars. The performance of the song was also included on the 'Oral Fixation Tour' release. The song was performed by Shakira during her set on the Plymouth Jazz Festival in Trinidad and Tobago, on 26 April 2008. She also included "Ojos As" on the setlist for her concert at Rock in Rio held at Madrid, Spain, on 4 July. It was also included on her sets on the Rock in Rio Lisboa and Madrid festivals on 21 May and 5 June, and also at the 2010 Glastonbury Festival, on 25 June 2010. During the 201011 The Sun Comes Out World Tour, "Ojos As" was performed after a solo by violinist Una Palliser. The tour's version also featured a new dance break, using excerpts from the piece "Move" by DJ Said Mrad. The tour's signature prop, a giant head behind the stage, would feature mystical eyes and patterns during the song. Shakira would wear a black skirt, an animal-print skirt over that, a silver belly dancing scarf, and a skin-colored bra.
The song was included in Shakira's performance at the Super Bowl LIV halftime show.
Covers
The song has been translated and adapted globally into multiple languages.
*In 2001, Indian composer Anand Raj Anand remade the song to "Yeh Pyaar Hai" for a Bollywood movie.
*In 2001, Greek singer Natasa Theodoridou adapted "Ojos As" and included a Greek version titled "Kataziteitai" in her album Ip'Efthini Mou.
* In 2001, the Israeli singers ' Liora' and ' Chaim Zriyan' released a Hebrew cover of the song titled "Einayim" meaning "eyes."
*One of China's best selling artists, Li Yuchun covered "Eyes Like Yours" during her 'Crazy World Tour'.
*During her 2018 Latin American tour, American singer Lauren Jauregui covered "Ojos As" on selected dates.
Track listings
; CD single
#"Ojos As" (Album Version) 3:57
#"Ojos As" (Thunder Mix Radio Edit) 3:52
#"Ojos As" (Thunder Mix) 10:15
#"Ojos As" (Desert Mix) 9:31
#"Ojos As" (Mirage Mix) 5:34
; Colombia Maxi-single
#"Ojos As" (Thunder Mix) 10:15
#"Ojos As" (Thunder Mix Radio Edit) 3:52
#"Ojos As" (Desert Dub) 9:31
#"Ojos As" (Mirage Mix) 5:34
Awards and Accolades
Shakira won a Latin Grammy Award in the category of Best Female Pop Vocal Performance with "Ojos As" in 2000.
In 2022, the song was listed as one of the 200 greatest dance songs of all time by Rolling Stone.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
Category:1999 singles
Category:Arabic-language songs
Category:Shakira songs
Category:Spanish-language songs
Category:Songs written by Shakira
Category:1998 songs
Category:Sony Music Latin singles
Category:Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album
Category:Macaronic songs
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