Shakira's Biography
Shakira is a legendary Colombian singer and one of the most successful Latinas in the global pop scene. Shakira's music features a distinct, unique style – a blend of pop-rock, Latin, and folk, and her performances are always an entire show of oriental dances and memorable stagings.Childhood
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (the singer's full name) was born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia. She is the only child of Nidia Ripoll and William Mebarak, but she also has eight half-siblings from her father's side. Her father was of Lebanese descent, with ancestors who moved to New York, and her mother had Spanish and Italian roots. The future celebrity grew up amidst books, musical rhythms, and precious stones - her father owned a large jewelry store. From an early age, Shakira began to show interest in literature and music, influenced by her parents - her father William even wrote books. At just 18 months, she knew the alphabet, by age 3 she could read and write, and by 4 she was ready for school. Later, experts tested Shakira and unanimously declared her a prodigy. The future singer's mother believed her daughter would grow up to be an artist or writer, given her frequent drawing and, at age 4, she started writing poetry. By the age of 8, Shakira had written her first song - "Your Dark Glasses," dedicated to the death of one of her siblings. At school, the active and beautiful girl was predicted to have a career as a ballerina or dancer, as she loved to perform Eastern dances and often took the stage. Then, the rising star won the contest "Viva los niños!". A few years later, a journalist named Monica Arias introduced Shakira to an executive from Sony Music, Ciro Vargas. The man was impressed by the singing talent of the young prodigy and after brief contemplation, he signed a contract with her. The girl began to balance her studies with recording her first album "Magia" (1991).By the way, Shakira initially sang in the school choir, but she was soon kicked out because one of the teachers said her voice sounded like a goat's bleat.
Career Start
At just fourteen years old, with the release of her first album, the charming and talented Colombian gained fame – first in her hometown and then all over the country. In 1993, Shakira represented Colombia at the Chilean music festival and took third place with her own song "Eres" ("You Are"). The following year, the young singer released her second album "Peligro" ("Danger"). From a commercial perspective, the album was unsuccessful, and Shakira had to make concessions with management during its recording, which led to the album losing its uniqueness. Despite unfulfilled expectations, after finishing school, she focused on creating her third album. During this time, she moved to the Colombian capital, Bogota, with her mother, where she received an offer to play the lead role in the TV series "El Oasis". In 1994, Sony representatives wanted to terminate the contract with the singer, but at that precise moment, she presented her song titled "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?" ("Where are you, heart?"), which instantly became a hit.The Rise of a Musical Career
In the fall of 1996, Shakira, with a fairly modest budget, presented her third studio album "Pies Descalzos" ("Bare Feet"). Finally, she was met with huge success, thousands of albums sold, a legion of fans, and her first world tour. In 1996, Shakira was named "Woman of the Year" and "Person of the Year" - she became the first Colombian to conquer overseas countries, for example, she was warmly welcomed in Japan. She also received awards from the Billboard Music Awards. Meanwhile, the audience was anticipating the singer's fourth album. When the materials for the album were ready, a suitcase with the song lyrics was stolen by an unknown person. Nevertheless, the album "Dónde Están los Ladrones?" ("Where are the Thieves?") was soon released. This album went platinum five times, and on the first day of sales, fans bought 300,000 copies. For 11 weeks, it was the best Latin American album in the charts. In 1999, the singer received her first Grammy nomination for "Best Latin Rock / Alternative Album", and in 2001 she released a concert version of the songs "MTV Unplugged". This album made her popular in the USA, and the success was consolidated by a Grammy award that same year. It was time for an international album - the mostly English-speaking disc "Laundry Service" conquered the American charts, and the first single "Whenever, Wherever" turned Shakira into a global star. The album, which went triple platinum in the US, also had other memorable songs that many still love most in the singer's repertoire. These are "Underneath Your Clothes", "The One", and "Objection (Tango)". Shakira managed to demonstrate the amazing capabilities of her voice, but many - both critics and Latin American fans - were unhappy that the singer preferred American pop music to authentic folk motifs. Nevertheless, from a commercial point of view, it was undoubtedly a breakthrough. The young star moved in this direction, soon recording several songs for Pepsi commercials.In 2005, Shakira released the Spanish album "Fijación Oral Vol. 1", the singles of which were mainly rotated in Spanish-speaking countries. That same year, the translated English album "Oral Fixation Vol. 2" was released with the singles "Hips Don’t Lie" and "Illegal", which became mega-popular. The singer went on a world tour and gave 150 concerts in 37 countries. In 2007, the singer went even further, receiving an MTV VMA award and a Grammy nomination for the duet "Beautiful Liar" together with Beyoncé . From this moment, her constant collaborations with other pop stars began - she sang with Annie Lennox, Stevie Wonder , and Usher. After a long break in her career in 2009, Shakira released the album "She Wolf", which was unlike anything previous in her discography - more electronic. This did not prevent it from becoming popular, and the eponymous single won the hearts of many listeners. In 2010, the singer was honored to record the official song for the World Cup, which was held in South Africa. The catchy track "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" turned out to be a real anthem for summer, positivity, and joy. In the fall of 2010, the singer's next album "Sale el sol" followed. It featured songs in both Spanish and English, the most popular of which was "Loca". The album was quite successful and received 13 Billboard de la Musica Latina nominations. In 2012, Shakira replaced Christina Aguilera as a coach on the popular vocal show "The Voice". In 2014, she released her tenth album, simply titled "Shakira". The track and clip recorded with Rihanna - "Can't Remember to Forget You" - were particularly popular.
Shakira's Personal Life
In 1997, news about singer Shakira's affair with the fashionable actor Osvaldo Ríos came out. The lovers hid their feelings in public, but everyone knew about their relationship. However, this affair did not last long - the couple broke up after 8 months.In 2000, Shakira began a relationship with the son of Argentine President Fernando de la Rúa, Antonio. A year later, the young man proposed to the singer. The lovers planned to get married, but the artist denied these rumors. Nevertheless, the affair lasted quite a long time. Only in January 2011 did Shakira officially announce her breakup with Antonio.
While filming the music video for "Waka Waka", the girl met Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué. The couple has been together since the fall of 2010, but they only announced their relationship in March 2011, shortly after Shakira's official breakup with Antonio. Soon they moved to Barcelona, and in 2013 their first child, Milan Piqué Mebarak, was born. In January 2015, Shakira’s family welcomed another son - Sasha. In June 2022, Spanish media reported about the breakup of Shakira and Gerard. And, according to rumors, the reason was Gerard's infidelity to his beautiful wife. The journalist from El Periodico, citing his own sources, reported that Piqué moved out of their shared house to an apartment and lives alone after a scandal that the singer caused after finding him in bed with another woman.Shakira on her breakup with AntonioFor almost 11 years we passionately loved each other... These were the most beautiful years of our lives... Meanwhile, since August 2010 our romantic relationship was temporarily interrupted by mutual agreement, although we continued to work together, keeping what happened a secret.
Shakira Now
Simultaneously with her scandalous divorce from Pique, Shakira faced problems due to tax evasion. The Spanish court ruled that between 2012 and 2014, the singer had avoided paying taxes six times. According to the investigation, during this period, Shakira lived in Barcelona for at least 183 days, which means she was a tax resident. Shakira insisted that she lived in the Bahamas. In November 2023, the court gave her a 3-year suspended sentence and a fine of 7.3 million euros, but she managed to avoid even this punishment – the singer paid 432,000 euros for this.Shakira: latest news and articles
Shakira Says Relationship with Gerard Piqué Cost Her Career
18 Mar 2024Shakira Receives Her Sentence
21 Nov 2023How the enchanting love tale of Shakira and Gerard Piqué tragically morphed into a scandal
3 Jul 2023After the news about the prison, Shakira was spotted at the airport
3 Aug 2022
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