Shakira nets 500,000 euros for charity with Spanish TV ad

Colombian pop star Shakira said Wednesday she had taped a Christmas television ad for a Spanish sparkling wine in exchange for a donation of 500,000 euros (660,000 dollars) to her charitable foundation.

The spot was filmed on Saturday in Barcelona and the money paid by the company Freixenet will be used to build two schools, one in Haiti and the other in Colombia, the Grammy-winning singer told a Barcelona news conference.

“Education is a birthright and a quality education is the only tool that a child has to turns dreams into reality,” the 33-year-old said.

“Since I was a girl I have been been aware of the tough reality faced by many children.”

Under the deal Freixenet will also produce a videoclip for Shakira’s song “Sale el sol” as well as as a documentary about the singer’s philanthropic work, whose Pies Descalzos foundation already manages six schools in Colombia.

The advertisement is for cava, a popular drink in Spain to toast friends and family during year-end celebrations. Freixenet has traditionally hired an international star to feature in its annual Christmas campaign.

Oscar-winning US actress Liza Minnelli was the first to perform in a Freixenet Christmas advertisement, singing the theme song from her hit film “Cabaret” in 1977.

An ageing Gene Kelly reprised “Singing in the Rain” in 1981, twirling his umbrella and clicking his heels as golden cava bubbles fell from the sky while Raquel Welch sang “I’m So Excited” in a see-through top in the spot that aired four years later.

But last year in a cost-cutting move the company repeated the previous year’s campaign featuring Spain’s synchronised swimming team.