The life of Colombian singer Shakira
The singer currently lives in the city of Barcelona, along with her two children and the soccer player Gerard Piqué.
Shakira Elizabeth Mebarak Ripoll, is the full name of the famous Colombian singer. Her name is Arabic and means 'grateful'.
His father William Mebarak Chadid, has Lebanese parents, but was born in New York. When William was 5 years old, they decided to move to Colombia. Nidia Ripoll Torrado, mother of Shakira, is Colombian. The singer was born in February 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia.
First steps of the singer
At just two years old, the famous already spoke fluently and knew the entire alphabet. His first poem was written at the age of 3. She went on to write poems which she later turned into songs.
At the age of four, she learned to dance belly dance thanks to her grandmother, since she insisted that Shakira should preserve her Lebanese roots. The first time she heard the Arab drum of the moumbek, it was in a restaurant in the Middle East, where she went with her father.
Gradually she became the 'belly dancer' at her school. Over time, belly dancing became her hallmark.
The singer has said that this dance is in her genes, and that it is a way of expressing herself. She indicated that when she hears the drums, she automatically begins to dance.
Shakira's career
At the age of eight, she finished her first song, which she described as a very personal song, since it recounted the loss of her brother, who had died years before in a car accident.
The song was named "Your dark glasses", referring to the sunglasses that her father used to cover the sadness after the death of his son.
First album
In 1991, Shakira released the song on her first album. At 14 years old Work as singer and model. Her schoolmates and music teachers did not believe in her potential. The singer told the media that she was told she had the sound of a goat.
This album sold only 1000 copies, so it did not have the success they expected. Later, Shakira participated in a Colombian telenovela called 'El Oasis'. Years later she bought it so that it would not be transmitted again by anyone else.
Her music label, Sony, gave the Colombian an ultimatum for her third album, after her two failed albums. At that time, Shakira was a little hesitant to pursue music, and began to consider going to college.
In 1995, her album 'Pies Descalzos' was successfully released in South America. This featured several singles that achieved success.
Her album in English
Her first album in English was released in 2001, called "Laundry Service". More than 27.2 million copies worldwide, managed to sell the album.
This was her breakthrough around the world. The most famous songs on said album were ' objection ', ' whenever wherever ' and ' Underneath your Clothes '.
Shakira's father owned a jewelry store, which went bankrupt in 1985. At that time William Mebarak, decided to take Shakira to an orphanage, to show her that there are people who had a much worse time than them.
After this, the Colombian decided to create the 'Pies descalzos' foundation, to help orphaned and homeless children. Hence, the name of the album.
Hits from 2006 to the present
In 2006, she released a song that featured band member Fugees, Wycliffe Jean, 'Hips Don't lie'. More than 3.3 million copies of this song were sold.
In 2010, she was in charge of starring in the main theme of the World Cup in South Africa. For the song 'Waka Waka' she worked together with the music group Freshly Ground.
In 2013 and 2014, the singer was part of the judges of 'The Voice'.
In 2017, Shakira was forced to take a break from her singing career due to a hemorrhage on her vocal cords, which caused her to lose her voice.
Over the course of 2017 and into 2018 she was completely dedicated to her children, and hoping to recover her voice without the need for surgery.
After this little and due break, Shakira declared that all she needed was divine intervention. The singer managed to recover her voice and reappeared in the Super Bowl, along with Jennifer Lopez, in 2020.
Until now it is not known when the singer's return to the stage will be. However, she stays close to her followers through her social networks.
Makeovers
During her career, Shakira has had different looks changes. Her advances in Latin America have shown both changes in clothing and hairstyle.
She's been a dreamy blonde singer, a sexy salsa queen, a rocker with Middle Eastern accents, or all together.
Although Shakira has always shown originality in her career, the Canadian singer Alanis Morissette criticized one of her looks, because according to her, it had been copied from her image.
Singer tastes
The singer indicated that in music, many totally different styles influence. She insists that she likes to mix them, as if it were a cocktail. Shakira used to listen to The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Nirvana.
Despite being a rock lover, she also became a fan of Arabic music and sounds, because of her father.
The Colombian speaks seven languages: Spanish, Italian, English, Catalan, a little Arabic, French and Portuguese. In addition to singing, she also plays drums, harmonica, guitar, and percussion.
Charities
The star continued to do charity work in Colombia and in the Middle East. The singer has an approximate net worth of more than 350 million dollars.
Also, she has been in charge of asking Israel to make peace with Lebanon. Shakira is in charge of visiting the country constantly.
Alleged plastic operations
Many rumors claim that the singer underwent thigh liposuction to better visualize her hips in the video. “Hips Don't lie”.
It also ensures that a facelift was performed, a mentoplasty and a rhinoplasty. So far she has not denied or confirmed any of the surgeries mentioned.
His love life: marriage of Shakira and Piqué
Although the relationship began as a work coincidence, the couple already has plus a decade together.
Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué assures that love continues to have the same strength as when they met. Together they have two children: Milan and Sasha.
Both post their photos with their little ones on Instagram, but they try to keep their relationship private.
The footballer says that the relationship began when they were filming the video for the song 'Waka Waka' in 2010, for the soccer world cup. He was the one who decided to write to the singer, to ask her how the weather was.
In 2011 they started dating, and were seen together for the first time, at a concert by the Colombian that she performed in Barcelona, and he went on stage.
Both kept everything private, so there is no evidence of the beginning of the relationship. In 2012, Shakira reported on her Instagram account that she was pregnant with her first child, and the father was the soccer player.
Milan Pique was born on January 22, 2013.
Little by little they shared details of their relationship. In 2014, they reported the expectation of their second child, Sasha. So far, the couple has not married, and has no plans to do so.