Shakira News

(11/8/02, 1 p.m. ET) -- Shakira's first-ever world tour, dubbed the Tour Of The Mongoose, kicks off at the San Diego Sports Arena in California on Friday (November 8).

The first leg of the tour--which is in support of Shakira's English-language debut album, Laundry Service--will visit 30 North American cities through February, with a European stopover scheduled for December. While in Europe Shakira will play London, Cologne, and Barcelona, among other major cities. The Colombian superstar's tour will visit some 30 countries and 50 cities through 2002 and 2003.

Laundry Service has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide to date. Shakira told LAUNCH that she always believed in her heart that she could release a successful English-language album. "Before assuming this big challenge of writing for the first time in English and making my first English album and presenting it to the world, of course, I was feeling ready for it. (I was) A little bit scared--actually a lot scared--but I knew I could do it. My instincts always told me to go ahead and jump in the water"

In 2003, the second leg of the Tour Of The Mongoose will visit more U.S. and European cities, and Latin American cities will also be on the itinerary.

Tour Of The Mongoose 2002 dates (subject to change):

November 8 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Sports Arena

November 10 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion At San Jose

November 12 - Anaheim, CA - Arrowhead Pond

November 13 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

November 15,16 - El Paso, TX - UTEP Don Haskins Center

November 20 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

November 22 - Auburn Hills, MI - The Palace Of Auburn Hills

November 24 - Philadelphia, PA - First Union Center

November 25 - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum

November 27 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre

November 28 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre

November 30 - Boston, MA - FleetCenter

December 2 - Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena

December 4 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete's Times Forum

December 10 - Barcelona, SPA - Palau Sant Jordi

December 12 - Cologne, GER - Cologne Arena

December 16 - London, UK - Wembley Arena

-- Jason Gelman, New York

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