Vocal sensation Shakira shakes up her own brand of theater

The only thing more caffeinated than the República de Colombia's primary export is its hip-shaking sweetheart Shakira. At 33, the emotive vocalist with the trademark Morrisette-like quaver has made a name for herself beyond the pelvic bone, with a complex catalogue of self-penned and cowritten melodies as well as a quirky, lyrical sensibility that goes beyond dance pop.

Whether singing in Spanish or English, she has become Latin music's biggest crossover since J-Lo. By year's end, Shakira will have debuted her own perfume, S; made her jittering "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" into the 2010 FICA World Cup's anthem; dropped a new album, Sale El Sol; and started a tour whose U.S. leg had its second sold-out date at Atlantic City's Trump Taj Mahal on Saturday.

For all the stagy effects of a television wall, an uplighted catwalk, belly-dance routines, and cold snow falling from the sky (the latter during her tender, breathy "Antes de las Seis"), Shakira was her own brand of theater. She did not need bells, whistles, her octet, or her dancers to heighten any unfolding drama.

Most of those histrionics came from her Spanish-language songs.

Entering through the crowd in a shrouded pink dress, she warbled softly through the romantic plea of "Pienso En Ti" ("I Think of You") until she hit the stage, ripped off the dress, busted out the scarves, and spun to the twirling electro of "Why Wait." She blew harmonica, heaved her chest, and flailed her tresses through the galloping "Te Dejo Madrid" ("I Leave You Madrid"). Then she lunged into the whammy-bar guitar-rocking "Si Te Vas" ("If You Go") with a near yodel. She played hollow-body guitar and hiccuped her way through "Inevitable" before ending the melodrama with a misty stare, and rolled her R's with Sofia Vergara-like gusto through the sinister, robo-popping "Gordita."

That's not saying she gave any less to her English-language material.

Though background singers did the yeoman's work of the dippy "Whenever, Wherever," it was Shakira who replaced its theme with the rousing chorus from EMF's 1990s smash "Unbelievable." Shakira and Company made "Gypsy" into a flirting flamenco delight, lent the dainty "Underneath Your Clothes" a Beatles-ish bridge, and hit the rap-rousing "Hips Don't Lie" with a lounge-piano introduction.

Though the crowd seemed spent as she leaped through the thumping pulse of the night's jingling closer, "Waka Waka," I got the feeling Shakira could have gone all night.