Shakira

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia. Her first two albums, *Magia* (1991) and *Peligro* (1993), were released while she was a teenager, but neither became a major commercial success. Her breakthrough came with *Pies Descalzos* (1995), which included “Estoy Aquí” and “¿Dónde Estás Corazón?” Its follow-up, *¿Dónde Están los Ladrones?* (1998), featured “Ciega, Sordomuda” and “Ojos Así.” Blending rock and Latin pop with rhythms associated with her Colombian and Middle Eastern heritage, these records established her across Spanish-speaking markets. Her 2000 *MTV Unplugged* album subsequently won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album.

Shakira moved into English-language pop with *Laundry Service* in 2001. Its singles “Whenever, Wherever” and “Underneath Your Clothes” helped turn her into an international chart star; “Whenever, Wherever” drew particular attention for its Andean panpipes. In 2005 she released two companion albums: the Spanish-language *Fijación Oral, Vol. 1* and the English-language *Oral Fixation, Vol. 2*. The former contained “La Tortura,” a duet with Alejandro Sanz, and won a Grammy for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album. A later edition of the latter included “Hips Don’t Lie,” featuring Wyclef Jean, which became her first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100.

Her later releases included *She Wolf* (2009) and *Sale el Sol* (2010). For the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, she recorded “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” with the South African group Freshlyground; the song became the tournament’s official song. Shakira’s self-titled 2014 album included “Can’t Remember to Forget You,” a collaboration with Rihanna. *El Dorado* (2017) contained “Chantaje” with Maluma and won the Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album. In February 2020, she co-headlined the Super Bowl LIV halftime show in Miami Gardens with Jennifer Lopez, performing songs including “Whenever, Wherever” and “Hips Don’t Lie.”

The collaboration “Te Felicito” with Rauw Alejandro appeared in 2022. In 2023, Shakira and Argentine producer Bizarrap released “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” which reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. It also won Latin Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Pop Song. Her 2024 album *Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran* also featured “TQG,” recorded with fellow Colombian singer Karol G. Beyond recording, Shakira founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation to support education for vulnerable children in Colombia and became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2003. In 2023, Barranquilla unveiled a large bronze statue of her on its riverfront.