Ex pornstar Mia Khalifa defended pop diva Shakira’s tongue wiggle during her performance at the halftime of the Super Bowl. The 26-year-old former adult actress commented on a Washington Post article in which the author called the singer’s attempt to do a zaghrouta – an ululation practiced in Africa and the Middle East – not very good. Khalifa, who is ranked as the second most searched actress on the Internet's leading adult film website, praised Shakira, saying that by doing the vocal expression, the singer had represented Lebanon.
THIS! Also, laughing at the “granted, she did it wrong” 😭 She’s still out here representing Lebanon at the super bowl though sooooo it’s fine https://t.co/dqdb8uJCJX
— Mia K. 🇱🇧 (@miakhalifa) February 4, 2020
Shakira’s mother is Columbian, but her father is Lebanese and Khalifa is of Lebanese descent too, although she was raised Catholic. The singer’s act instantly became a very popular meme, with people making fun of what they thought was a weird or naughty gesture.
In fact, the zaghrouta is a traditional vocal expression practiced in the Middle East and Africa. It is used to express emotions in different situations, for example a person can do zaghrouta when he is extremely happy or in grief, or even before a battle.
