The
Latin Pop Superstar Shakira Mebarak Ripoll born in the Coastal City
of Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira means "Woman full of Grace"
in arabic. She proves what her name means She is full of grace,
a very beautiful and talented Singer and performer. Her mother is
a Colombian and father a Lebanese. Shakira's father a jeweler and
a writer whose Arabic background greatly influenced her a lot. At
the age of 10 she started winning many local and national contests
for talent, while in school she was making her musical talent known
by winning talents shows playing guitar. At the age of 13 she had
signed a record deal with Sony in Colombia and released her first
album 'Magic', a compilation of songs she wrote between the ages
8 and 13
It
was an effort that put Shakira in Colombia's musical map, and led
to her being chosen to represent her country at the Fesival OTI
in Spain. Because she was under the minimum age of 16, she wasn't
allowed to participate. So instead, Shakira recorded a second album
of original material, "Peligro (Danger)." At that point,
Shakira took a break from music, graduated from high school (at
age 15-really) and came back with a vengeance. The result was the
phenomenally successful "Pies Descalzos," a hit-laden
smash, which has sold close to four million copies worldwide. Shakira
became an international sensation touring for an almost solid two
years, playing her songs to sold-out audiences throughout the world.
In Brazil alone, "Pies Descalzos" sold in excess of 900,000
copies, leading Shakira to record remixes in Portuguese for her
Brazilian fans. She abandoned the light pop format she had been
doing and declined her label's suggestion to explore more commercial
avenues. Instead, she insisted on recording her very own brand of
music: a blend of pop and rock that was unprecedented for a Colombian
musician, much less a woman. Such a smashing hit seems impossible
to surpass. But Shakira has done it with "Donde Estan los Ladrones,"
a collection of potential hits that further explores the realms
of rock 'n' roll without losing Shakira's authenticity. Produced
by über-producer Emilio Estefan -- who also became her manager
-- the album is the perfect blend of gritty, thought-provoking lyrics
and rock-laden tracks, while still preserving the Shakira that her
original fans knew and loved. No wonder, then, that it was Shakira
who was chosen among dozens of female Latin singers to grace the
cover of Time Magazine in a recent article titled "Era of the
Rockera". For the most exciting singer/songwriter to come out
of Latin America in years, the possibilities are endless. For the
millions that already buy her albums, she is already the voice of
a new generation.
Shakira
Trivia
Became
the youngest ever goodwill ambassador for the United Nations’
UNICEF on October 24, 2003
Donated
10,000 pairs of tennis shoes to her hometown of Barranquilla to
impoverished children -- the donation was made through the Barefoot
Foundation, named after one of Shakira's disks called Pies Descalzos
in Spanish. (December 21, 2002)
Shakira
proves to be a real doll – the singer has signed on with toy
company Mattel, maker of Barbie, to license a collection of fashion
dolls and accessories. (November 6, 2002)
Shakira
has signed an endorsement deal with Reebok that will be marketed
under the sportswear giant's Sounds & Rhythm Of Sport platform.
(September 24, 2002)
Shakira
is a walking, living, breathing, singing contradiction.
She's
a child prodigy who wrote her first song at age eight, a blond-locked
Colombian who speaks three languages and loves only in Spanish.
She's
a perfectionist who spends hours in the studio; she needs to be
close to nature but her passion is the crackle of electric guitars.
Made
emergency helicopter landing. Bad weather forces the singer's chopper
down over a baseball diamond in the Dominican Republic on Friday,
August 2, 2002. She and family escaped injury
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