Shakira
On the 2nd of February 1977, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born in Barranquilla, Colombia. Her father worked as a jeweler and her mother taught English. She grew up with eight older half-siblings from her father's previous marriage. At age four, she visited a local Middle Eastern restaurant where she heard the doumbek drum for the first time. She climbed onto a table and began dancing to the rhythm. This early exposure to belly dance would later define her stage presence. When she was two years old, her half-brother died in a motorcycle accident. Six years later, she wrote her first song titled "Gafas Oscuras" on a typewriter. The lyrics were inspired by her father wearing dark glasses to hide his grief after losing his son. Her family faced financial ruin when she was eight years old. They lost their cars, furniture, and color television set. Shakira had to adjust to a much harder reality than before. Despite these struggles, she won a bicycle at a local TV talent contest when she was ten. A theater producer named Monica Ariza saw her perform and convinced Sony Music executives to audition her. She signed a three-album deal at age thirteen.
Shakira released her debut album Magia in June 1991 under Sony Music Colombia. Recording began in 1990 when she was only thirteen years old. The album consisted of pop rock ballads and disco uptempo songs. It sold only 1,200 copies within Colombia. Her second studio album Peligro arrived in March 1993 but also failed commercially. Critics noted the production quality as unsatisfactory for the young artist. In February 1993, she performed the ballad "Eres" at Chile's Viña del Mar International Song Festival. She won third place with that performance. Sony Music Colombia decided to move forward with her third album after a hit song titled "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?" appeared on a compilation. Shakira began writing and recording with Luis Fernando Ochoa who became her principal collaborator. Her third studio album Pies Descalzos launched in October 1995. It reached number five on the U.S. Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. Six singles from the record peaked inside the top twenty of the U.S. Latin chart. The album eventually sold over five million copies worldwide. RIAA certified it platinum in the United States in August 1996. Tour Pies Descalzos ran for two years across 118 shows starting in October 1995. At age nineteen, she was named a national cultural ambassador by the president of Colombia.
Shakira entered the English-language market with her fifth album Laundry Service released on the 13th of November 2001. The album debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart selling over 200,000 records in its first week. Nine out of thirteen tracks were sung in English. The lead single "Whenever, Wherever" reached number one in most countries globally. In the U.S., it climbed to number six on the Hot 100. The song took heavy influence from Andean music including charango and pan flute instrumentation. Over 15 million copies of Laundry Service were sold worldwide making it the best-selling album of all time by a female Latin artist. Some critics claimed her English skills were too weak for writing songs in that language. Detractors considered her a sellout due to her new blond hair and English singing style. Shakira insisted her only motivation for changing her look was personal vanity. Freddy DeMann negotiated a multi-million dollar global promotional deal with Pepsi for her. She released four songs for the campaign including "Ask for More" and "Knock on My Door". Her Tour of the Mongoose began in November 2002 and included legs across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
Shakira's musical identity blended rock guitar with Latin rhythms throughout her career. Her early albums featured assertive sounds utilizing reggae, dancehall, bossa nova, and bachata styles. The closing track "Ojos Así" from Dónde Están los Ladrones? became famous for its boundary-pushing fusion of modern Arabic and other dance routines. The song utilized mariachi elements co-written with Estéfano. In 2005 she released Fijación Oral vol. 1 featuring reggaeton beats alongside pop songs. The lead single "La Tortura" remained on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart for 25 weeks. It reached number one in Spain and enjoyed high rankings globally. Her English album Oral Fixation vol. 2 followed containing salsa mixed with reggaeton and cumbia. The hit "Hips Don't Lie" featured Wyclef Jean and became the biggest-selling single of the 21st century worldwide. Shakira performed this song at the closing ceremony of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. She later explored electropop sounds on She Wolf released in October 2009. The title track contained an electronic clubby sound contrasting sharply with previous work. Critics noted a bluntness to her urges only hinted at in earlier releases. The album represented a sonic experimental trip researching folk music from different countries including Oriental and Hindu influences.
Shakira founded the Barefoot Foundation to support children's education and development. Her father took her to a local park as a child so she could see orphans living there. The images stayed with her and she promised herself to help those kids when she became famous. In 2006, she received the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award for Fundación Pies Descalzos. She was appointed to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics in the United States in 2011. The Latin Recording Academy named her Person of the Year that same year recognizing both artistic achievements and philanthropic undertakings. She also received the Harvard Foundation Artist of the Year award in 2011. Shakira has been an advocate for equitable development of the Global South and women's rights. She performed at the ALAS Foundation charity concert in Buenos Aires before an audience of over 150,000 people in May 2008. Her work often highlights the struggles of under-represented groups across Latin America and beyond. She continues to use her platform to draw attention to educational inequality affecting millions of children.
After a seven-year gap following El Dorado released in 2017, Shakira launched Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran in March 2024. The album emerged from her public breakup with Gerard Piqué turning pain into musical gold. It contains 16 songs utilizing moods ranging from Afrobeats to soul-stirring bachata. The lead single "Te Felicito" featured Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro and was nominated for Record of the Year at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards. A collaboration with Argentine DJ Bizarrap titled "Bzrp Music Sessions Vol. 53" reached number one in 16 countries achieving 14 Guinness World Records. The song became a diss track aimed at her ex-partner and had a measurable cultural impact. Another hit "TQG" with Karol G broke the record for highest-charting Spanish language track by a woman in the U.S. The all-Spanish album debuted atop the Top Latin Albums chart making Shakira the first woman with number-one albums across four decades on Billboard Latin charts. She held a free pop-up concert in New York's Times Square where over 40,000 fans assembled despite short notice. Her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour commenced in February 2025 generating $421.6 million and selling 3.3 million tickets.
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Common questions
When and where was Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll born?
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on the 2nd of February 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia. Her father worked as a jeweler and her mother taught English.
What album did Shakira release to enter the English-language market?
Shakira entered the English-language market with her fifth album Laundry Service released on the 13th of November 2001. The album debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart selling over 200,000 records in its first week.
Which song by Shakira became the biggest-selling single of the 21st century worldwide?
The hit Hips Don't Lie featuring Wyclef Jean became the biggest-selling single of the 21st century worldwide. Shakira performed this song at the closing ceremony of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Why did Shakira found the Barefoot Foundation?
Shakira founded the Barefoot Foundation to support children's education and development after seeing orphans living in a local park as a child. She promised herself to help those kids when she became famous.
When was Shakiras latest album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran released?
Shakira launched Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran in March 2024 following a seven-year gap after El Dorado released in 2017. The all-Spanish album debuted atop the Top Latin Albums chart making Shakira the first woman with number-one albums across four decades on Billboard Latin charts.