Born to parents of Colombian and Lebanese decent, Shakira Mebarak discovered her love of music at an early age. Penning her first song aged eight, she thrived on a healthy mix of both world music and bands as diverse as Led Zeppelin, the Beatles and Nirvana. One of her first songs was called ‘Tus Gafas Oscuras’ (Your Dark Glasses), about her father’s grief at the loss of his son in a car accident.
A regular on the local Colombian talent show circuit, Shakira got her lucky break after moving to Bogotá, initially with hopes of pursuing a career in modelling. Thanks to local theatre producer Monica Ariza, the talented young star-to-be was thrust under the nose of Sony Colombia executive, Ciro Vargas. Following a successful live showcase, Shakira was signed to the label and went on to release her fist album, ‘Magia’ in 1991. The album failed to grab attention on the international market, but did wonders for Shakira’s profile in her home country. A second album, ‘Peligro’, in 1993 left Shakira dissatisfied with the music industry and she returned home to take a role in the Colombian soap opera, ‘El Oasis’.
When Shakira shimmied her way onto MTV in 2001 with a steamy video for a slick, cookie-cutter dance-pop song, some people associated the Colombian singer with her American pop-music contemporaries Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. But the stylistic breadth of Shakira's music — elements of folk, Middle Eastern and traditional Latin styles over a foundation of rock and pop — gave her a degree of credibility the American teen queens lacked. What's more, when Shakira broke through in the United States, she'd already been a huge star across Latin America since 1996.
Shakira’s first English album, ‘Laundry Service’, released in 2001 was to be the catalyst that would launch the young star onto the international stage. Thanks to the collaborating talents of Gloria Estefan, the album went on to sell in excess of 13 million copies and spawned the monster hits ‘Whenever, Wherever’ and ‘Underneath Your Clothes’. The combination of strong Latin rhythms and Shakira’s unique voice made her instantly recognisable.
Shakira's half brother is killed when a drunk driver hits the motorcycle he is riding. Just 2 at the time, the singer says that her first memory is learning of his death. "It made me very necrophobic," she tells Scottish newspaper The Herald. "For a long time I feared death in all its aspects."
"Yes, we are expecting our second baby!! Thank you for all your well wishes!" the singer writes on Facebook in late August, confirming news broken by Cosmopolitan en Español that week. Days later, her parents reportedly tell Hola! magazine that baby No. 2 will be another boy.
Birth Name Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll
Date of Birth 2 February 1977, Barranquilla, Colombia
Height: 1.57 m
Nickname Shaki
Partner: Gerard Piqué (2010–)
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