TheTour of the Mongoose (also known asEl Tour de la Mangosta inSpanish-speaking regions) was the thirdconcert tour byColombian singer-songwriterShakira, launched in support of her fifth studio album—and debutEnglish-language record—Laundry Service (2001). It was her first global tour, visiting North and South America and Europe.
Clear Channel Entertainment announced the Tour of the Mongoose in September 2002.[1] The tour came shortly after Shakira reached international success with her third studio album. During a press conference in New York City, Shakira summarized her show as an "entertaining rock show", stating, "I'm not saving any effort to make sure that this concert [tour] will be the best I can offer to my fans. And it's going to have a strong spirit of rock and roll, so you will see a rock-and-roll show, but it will have all of the nuances and the subtleties of a show that attempts to entertain".[2]
At the same press conference, Shakira explained the tour's name as symbolizing the strength of themongoose, stating "...I was really impressed by it because it is an animal that can defeat the snake with just a bite. It's like a living miracle, this animal, to me, because if there's an animal on earth that can defeat the snake—a venomous viper—with a bite, I think that there's got to be some way for us to defeat, or to bite the neck of hatred in this world, no? "It's called the Tour of the Mongoose, and the mongoose is basically one of the few animals who can defeat the most venomous snakes with just one bite and that's why I decided to name my tour that way, because I think that if we all have a little mongoose inside that can defeat the hatred and the resentment and the prejudice of everyday, we can probably win the battle."[2][3] At the tour commencement, Corey Moss of MTV compared the singer toBritney Spears,Tommy Lee,Elvis Presley,Sheryl Crow andRage Against the Machine.[4]
The show sparked some controversy due to a perceived anti-war message in a video played prior to the performance of "Octavo Día", displaying war footage and later revealing the Grim Reaper to be a puppeteer. Shakira defended the video, stating,[3]
"I think that we see war as a virtual thing and we even get to believe that bombs fall on top of cardboard cutouts and stuff like that, they don't. They kill real people, real children, real mothers and millions of innocent people. I come from Colombia, which is a country that has been under the whip of violence for more than four decades, so I've seen the consequences of war and I've seen the psychological damage that it does in a society.And I think that we're never ready for war. I just feel that there are always pacifist solutions, and I think that the leaders know the exit to the conflict, it's just that sometimes they don't want to use them, they just want to continue playing their little game of power. And I feel that us people have the responsibility and also the obligation to demand to our leaders to give us the pacifist solutions. To give us a world in peace."
In 1999, Shakira began a relationship with Argentine lawyerAntonio de la Rúa, the son of the then president of ArgentinaFernando de la Rúa.[5] This led to huge backlash in the country due to thesocial and economic crisis happening at the time in the nation.[6] After theDecember 2001 riots in Argentina, many groups, includingjournalists andmusic retailers, sought to boycott Shakira's career in the country.[7][8] In February 2002, Pablo di Paola, the then president ofTower Records Argentina took the decision to stop selling Shakira's albums in the country.[9][10] In the documentary for her video albumLive & off the Record (2004), Shakira revealed that trying to bring the tour to Argentina in 2003 turned into a "real soup opera" with a lot of discussion happening behind closed doors, with her team and then managerFreddy DeMann trying to persuade her to skip the country during the tour.[7] The tour's production manager, Chris Lamband, and the tour manager, Fitzjoy Hellin, called the situation "insane."[7] Shakira stated: "Not only the press was an issue, but logistics were nearly impossible and certainly unprofitable."[7] Nevertheless, Shakira decided to go to Argentina in despite of the controversy.[7]
Shakira became the first Latin female artist to perform at Argentina'sEstadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti (River Plate stadium), the sold-out show had over 60,000 people in attendance.[12] The concert inSantiago,Chile brokeLuis Miguel's record of most expensive concert tickets in the country due to Shakira's huge global popularity and high demand.[14] The show in Atlantic Pavilion,Lisbon has attracted 19,136 people which has broken attendance record holding by American rock trioR.E.M.[15]
The tour was shot in Rotterdam, The Netherlands on April 22, 2003. The tour was chronicled onLive & off the Record. The disc included selected songs from the concert, along with a documentary showing the performer preparing for the show, her song writing process and her ideas about social responsibility. It also includes a live CD that features ten songs that were performed during the show. The CD spun off two singles, "Poem to a Horse" and "Whenever, Wherever Live".[16] In a special edition ofFijación Oral, Vol. 1 the performances of "Fool" and "Dónde Están los Ladrones?" were included.
Lebanon
