Shakira Announces Concert Tour

Wyclef Jean Will Be Along For The U.S. Leg

(AP)  Shakira is getting ready for her "Oral Fixation" world tour — and she's taking Wyclef Jean with her for all 23 U.S. shows.

"I feel honored he's gonna do this with me," the 29-year-old Colombian pop star said at a press conference Friday, one day after winning six Billboard Latin Music Awards.

"I admire him so much! He's a great artist and will be a big asset for the show," she said.

The world tour will begin June 22 in Madrid, Spain, and will travel in October to Latin America, where the crossover star will sing mostly in Spanish.

The U.S. leg of the tour will open Aug. 9 in El Paso, Texas, and will include performances in New York, Miami and Los Angeles.

During the U.S. tour, Verizon Wireless subscribers will be able to use their cell phones to receive video clips and vote for their favorite songs.

"It's gonna be really exciting to see my fans interact," she said. "They'll get videos, messages from me, it's interesting."

Shakira will sing her best-known songs in both Spanish and English for her U.S. audiences.

"It will be balanced," she said. "The Anglo public will enjoy it as much as the Latin fans that have followed me over the years."

She also described progress in her plans for a benefit concert to help Latin American children escape poverty. The singer said she's working with Juanes, Alejandro Sanz and Miguel Bose, with the idea of holding the concert late next year at a location to be determined.

"Besides collecting funds we want to raise consciousness about the problems that children face in Latin America, where every second a child dies for completely avoidable causes," she said.