Ottawa Citizen

Iglesias misses his family ‘like crazy,’ but loves performing for devotees

If fans call, he will come

- CARON CREIGHTON

Pop star Enrique Iglesias misses his newborn twins “like crazy.” But he says performing for his fans is the next best thing to being home.

While the Spanish singer has traditiona­lly kept his personal life private, he and his wife, former tennis player Anna Kournikova, took to social media last week to share some rare photos and videos of themselves and their children. He said he wanted to open up to his fans because they have given him so much.

“I don’t mind sharing part of my life with them,” he said.

“I always have, in a way, through my music.”

Iglesias performed to nearly 50,000 fans in Tel Aviv recently. The crowd cheered when Iglesias took to the stage, starting with his song I’m a Freak, accompanie­d by a show of lasers.

Devoted fans wore T-shirts proclaimin­g their love for the 43-yearold pop star, and held signs declaring him the “sexiest father alive.”

“I miss my family like crazy,” said Iglesias.

“But I love doing what I do, which is being on stage and just being surrounded by my fans.

“Those are the two things I love most in my life.”

It was Iglesias’s fourth performanc­e in Israel. Artists, including Iglesias, often come under pressure from a grassroots proPalesti­nian boycott movement not to perform in Israel. But Iglesias said he never had second thoughts about coming to the country.

“I’ve sang in so many countries around the world during conflicts, my music is not about politics,” he said. “If my fans ask me to go to a place and there is demand, I will be there no matter what.”

Iglesias’ most recent single, Move to Miami was released this month. Iglesias has been performing around Europe and South America, and came to Israel following a performanc­e in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

 ?? ARIEL SCHALIT/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Enrique Iglesias says performing for his fans comes second only to the love he has for his family — wife Anna and their newborn twins.
ARIEL SCHALIT/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Enrique Iglesias says performing for his fans comes second only to the love he has for his family — wife Anna and their newborn twins.
 ?? ARIEL SCHALIT/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Enrique Iglesias has an internatio­nal fanbase and he doesn’t hesitate to perform in controvers­ial countries, such as Israel, despite Palestinia­n calls for boycott.
ARIEL SCHALIT/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Enrique Iglesias has an internatio­nal fanbase and he doesn’t hesitate to perform in controvers­ial countries, such as Israel, despite Palestinia­n calls for boycott.

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