Shakira, carnival and joy begin the Barranquilla Games (+ Photos) | Other sports

EFE

Barranquilla received Thursday XXIII Games of Central America and the Caribbean with a moving ceremony that characterized the return of Shakira to his hometown ; a sample of the carnival, the main cultural expression of this city, and joy as the main symbol of the games.

Photo by Jesús Blanquicet | @JesuB

The purpose of the ceremony was to stage what will be Barranquilla in 114 years exhilarating, mainly, his joy and culture, as well as d & # 39; have as a musical framework the different rhythms that arrived in Colombia through the "Golden Gate".

Photo by Jesús Blanquicet | @JesuB

Therefore, the ceremony began with a video that represented the society of 2132, which is no joy and sends a representative, the former Miss Universe and the Colombian model Paulina Vega to know Barranquilla to try to bring back happiness in the future.

Photo by Jesús Blanquicet | @JesuB

In this context, Vega, dressed entirely in white, came out of an egg that was in the center of the field to watch dozens of women dance to the rhythm imposed by a cellist

Photo: EFE

On the other hand, musical performances have shown, as expected, the variety of rhythms that exist in the Colombian Caribbean, such as pop music. of the band Los de Adentro or the tropical fusions of Systema Solar who paid tribute to the Cuban group The Sonora Matancera and the singer Nelson Pinedo .

Photo: EFE

This stage of the ceremony culminated with the notes of the Colombian national anthem and the subsequent appearance of the athletes on the playing field.

The first delegation to leave was Mexico, which organized the 22nd edition of the Central America and Caribbean Games in Veracruz four years ago. Then seven of Antigua and Barbuda representatives did and then made their presentation to each of the remaining 35 countries and territories that are in the games.

Photo: EFE

The athletes traveled the whole field and visited the track of athletics, where they greeted the thousands of people who filled the stadium's stands with Barranquilla . At the end of the trip, they were placed in a booth reserved for them.

Photo: EFE

The last ones to start their tour were the locals, received with the song "In Barranquilla [19659003] I'm staying", from the late salsa singer Joe Arroyo, at middle of the hubbub, applause and jubilation of the assistants, who shouted in unison "Colombia, Colombia".

Photo: EFE

Then the singers Maía and M. Steve, who preceded the concert, came on stage International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Organization Sports of Central America and the Caribbean (Odecabe) .

"I formally declare the XXIII Central American Games open and the Caribbean Barranquilla 2018," said Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who spoke after the IOC's anthems, the "I'm the one who's been there." Odecabe and the capital of the Atlantic Department

.. the turn of Adriana Lucia and the duo Dragon and Caballero who sang "Viniste a Ganar", the official song of the games danced by Baqui, a cotton tamarin which is the symbol of Barranquilla 2018. [19659004OneofthemoststrikingexamplesoftheceremoniesareproducedwhentheotherboatsandboatsappearonthegroundsurroundedbypeoplewhohavebeenstandingtheresymbolizingthearrivalofthevariouscommunitiesthathavearrivedatBarranquilla19659003] and gave rise to at its creation

Immediately after the football player Carlos Bacca [1949] 59005] arrived with the flame of the Games to the Metropolitan, who passed into the hands of the bicicrosista Mariana Pajón, ex-healer Helmut Bellingrodt and former baseball player ex-Barrancaberilla Edgar Renteria who lit the cauldron of Central Americans and Caribbean.

Carnival of Barranquilla declared by Unesco Intangible Heritage of Humanity, was also not excluded from the festival and the comparsas appeared on stage, accompanied by the music of Czech Acosta and Dominican Cuco Valoy, who raised the audience.

However, the ceremony, which lasted about three hours, had its ecstasy when Shakira appeared, who sang "I fell in love," "The hips do not lie" and "The Bicicleta ", pieces that the public accompanied, excited to see live the most important artist of the country after twelve years.

At the end of the concert of the singer of Barranquilla, the pyrotechnic lights illuminated the sky and put an end to the ritual of official inauguration of the Games.