Unauthorized Shakira Documentary Will Hit TV Screens

Shakira fans will have the chance to learn all about the singer's rough beginnings as a musician on the documentary Shakira: La niña de los pies descalzos — La verdadera historia (Shakira: The barefoot girl — The true story), produced by her first promoter, Carlos Vanegas, who represented her between 1991 and 1993. Her ex-manager also wrote an unauthorized biography about the Colombian that's slated to be published in 2008.

Vanegas said the documentary shows the obstacles that the artist, now 30, faced while breaking into the music business, along with details about her personal life, such as her relationship with Puerto Rican actor Osvaldo Ríos. The work addresses her experiences until arriving in the United States, already a star. “People know about her career starting with her arrival in Miami, but they don't know about her life when she wasn't successful,” the singer's ex-rep told news agency EFE.

“I understand that things change, but what I want is to show the truth, with respect,” expressed Vanegas, who calls the work a journalistic endeavor that includes interviews with those close to the “Pies descalzos” singer. According to the ex-manager, the documentary doesn't portray Shakira in a negative light, but rather is very “objective” and “respectful.”

Still, Shakira doesn't seem to be in favor of project by Vanegas, since she never gave an official response after he told her about his plans. “I know that she had strong opinions [about the documentary] based on what third parties told me, that she didn't want me to show anything about her life,” he mentioned.

The work will air on TV in Spain before the year's end. Some details about the project will be given at the second annual Queens Book Fair at Saint Demetrios school, in New York.