"Despedida" () is a song recorded by Colombian singer Shakira for the extended play (EP) Love in the Time of Cholera (2008). The song was written by her and Pedro Aznar originally for the Mike Newell-directed 2007 movie adaptation of Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez's 1985 novel Love in the Time of Cholera. Antonio Pinto handled its composition and production. Shakira was initially offered a role by the producers of the movie to take part as the main protagonist. However, she refused the offer and accepted to collaborate with the musical team due to her friendship with García Márquez. Musically, "Despedida" is a folk song which discusses nostalgic love sentiments towards a person the protagonist lost. Although the movie received unfavorable reviews from critics, "Despedida" was praised by music reviewers for depicting the novel's spirit. "Despedida" was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the category for Best Original Song at the award ceremony held in 2008. The song managed to appear on the Billboard Latin Digital Songs charts due to digital downloads following its release on the EP. Shakira performed it live during the screening of the movie and at the stops of her The Sun Comes Out World Tour (2010–11) where she sang it as a medley with "Nothing Else Matters" (1992) by American band Metallica. The National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia performed the song live during a homage following García Márquez's death in 2014. Background In 1999, Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez met Shakira. He conducted an interview with her for Colombian magazine Cambio. At the time of the publication of the article, García Márquez expressed Shakira's originality in the music scene. Following this, both of them established friendly relations with one another. During late 2006, the filming of the 2007 movie adaptation of García Márquez's novel Love in the Time of Cholera (1985) started. The story revolves around the character of Florentino Ariza and "his unconditional love for the beautiful Fermina Daza and the sentimental triangle that develops with the regional doctor". Initially, the producers of the movie offered Shakira a role in it, which would mark her cinematic debut. However, she turned down the offer, claiming that she was not comfortable with the nude scenes that were featured in the movie. Nevertheless, Shakira offered to compose the score of the movie due to her friendship with García Márquez and his influence on her. She started