Snapshots: So many South Florida links… It’s “Quillami”
Barranquilla and South Florida are so intertwined that at least four international stars from the Colombian city live or have lived in greater Miami. Indeed, there’s a slang word that unites the two places: Quillami. It can refer to everything from high-rises in ‘Quilla that look like Miami towers to those ‘Quilleros who aspire to live as if they were in Miami, acting a bit showy sometimes. In greater Miami’s Kendall area, there’s even a Quillami Fast Food restaurant offering typical Barranquilla fare. Here’s a look at four renowned Barrinquilleros linked to Miami:
SHAKIRA: SINGER, SONGWRITER, ACTRESS AND DANCER:
Superstar Shakira now lives in Miami Beach with her children. She was born and raised in Barranquilla and made her recording debut with Sony Music Colombia at age 13. Her “Hips Don’t Lie” dancing style builds on her Dad’s Lebanese roots. Billboard magazine says that with 95 million+ records sold, Shakira is the top-selling Latina singer of all time. Her Pies Descalzos (Barefoot) Foundation has built schools in Colombia, including sites in Barranquilla.
SOFIA VERGARA: MODEL, ACTRESS AND ENTREPRENEUR:
Vergara came to Miami with her son at age 22 to work for Univision TV on travel shows. She’s best known in the U.S for her role as Gloria on the TV series Modern Family and as a judge since 2020 on America’s Got Talent, ranking her among the highest-paid women on TV. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she studied dentistry there. Her business- es include clothing, fragrances, jewelry, home décor, and new beauty brand called Toty, her childhood nickname.
SILVIA TCHERASSI: FASHION DESIGNER:
Tcherassi says her global brand offering “Effortless Elegance” was born in her hometown of Barranquilla but blossomed in Miami, her longtime residence. She runs more than a dozen boutiques in the Americas and Europe, sells her clothes in such top stores as Neiman Marcus and Harrods, and recently expanded into luxury hotels, with a namesake property in Colombia’s Cartagena. She studied interior design in Barranquilla and fashion at Parsons School in New York.
EDGAR RENTERIA: PLAYING SHORT-STOP IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL:
Renteria helped the Florida Marlins win the 1997 World Series. He also earned the 2010 World Series’ Most Valuable Player award with the San Francisco Giants. Renteria founded the Colombian Professional Baseball League, which plays in Barranquilla in a stadium named in his honor. Now retired from MLB, “Barranquilla Baby” mostly lives in his hometown, enjoying its recent progress from better streets to eco-parks. He told Global Miami Magazine from Palo de Mango restaurant: “With these changes, we’re opening to the world.”
