Shakira
Shakira was born February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia. She is a Colombian singer, songwriter, musician, and dancer who built a successful career in both Spanish and English speaking markets and has become one of the most popular Latin American recording artists of the early 21st century. Shakira started belly dancing at an early age. By age 10 she had begun writing songs and participating in talent competitions. A local theater producer helped her land an audition with a Sony Corporation and in 1998 Shakira released ¿Dónde están los ladrones?, which includes several memorable singles. She notably won Latin Grammy Awards for best female pop vocal performance (“Ojos así”) and for best rock vocal performance (“Octavo día”). Then she focused her efforts on establishing herself in the English-speaking market and achieving mainstream success in the United States.

In 2001 her album MTV Unplugged (2000) won the Grammy Award for best Latin pop album, and she released her first English-language album, Laundry Service, that same year. Although her English-language songwriting skills were questioned by some (Shakira wrote all her own lyrics on the album), Laundry Service sold more than 13 million copies worldwide and reached number three on the Billboard album chart. Two of its singles—“Whenever, Wherever” and “Underneath Your Clothes”—became top 10 hits in the United States. Shakira continued her crossover success in 2005 with the release of the Spanish-language Fijación oral, vol. 1 in June and the English-language Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 in November. Both albums debuted in the top five in the United States, and her single “Hips Don’t Lie” (featuring Wyclef Jean) topped charts around the world in 2006. The following year she scored another international hit with “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” a collaboration with South African band Freshlyground, after the song was chosen as the official anthem of the 2010 World Cup. The track also appears on her breezily eclectic Sale el sol (2010), which earned a Latin Grammy for best female pop vocal album. In 2013–14 Shakira was a coach on the American televised singing competition The Voice. In 2020 Shakira and Jennifer Lopez performed in the Super Bowl halftime show. Shakira lent her voice to the character of the Gazelle in the animated film Zootopia(2016) and appeared as a judge on the reality show Dancing with Myself (2022). She has also devoted considerable time and energy to social causes. In 2003 she became a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, traveling internationally to raise awareness of the struggles of children in less-developed countries. She also created the Pies Descalzos Foundation, which focuses on helping children displaced by violence in Colombia. Overall, Shakira is a successful singer in both Spanish and English speaking markets.
Citation:
The. “Shakira | Biography, Songs, Full Name, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Oct. 2007, www.britannica.com/biography/Shakira. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.