Shakira

Shakira
Born on February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Columbia, Shakira is a well-known Latin pop singer. Of course, it was not always that way. She was born into a large family with a mother of Spanish and Catalan descent and a father of Lebanese and Macedonian descent.

    However, from the early age of 8 years old, Shakira knew what she wanted to do with her life. This was the age she wrote her first song and even though she was rejected by the school choir for having a voice that was “too strong”. Shakira didn’t let it stop her from pursuing her dream, though. From competing in singing competitions to singing at a variety of events in her hometown, Shakira soon became a local celebrity. By the tender age of 13, she had been signed on for three albums by Sony.

At the age of 15, Shakira’s first album, Magia, did not do well and less than a thousand
copies were purchased. This was mostly due to the fact that the recording and production of the album was not coordinated. However, since Shakira’s success, this album is now considered to be sought-after by many collectors. The second album, Peligro, did better, however, at this point Shakira took a break and decided to put her time into high school
and graduation. Five more albums would come through before Shakira became the star she is today. In 2001, she was back in and working on an album that was a crossover
to English. Working with Gloria Estafan, she worked on Dónde Están los Ladrones and another album, Laundry Service. Laundry Service was a hit and selling over 13 million, Shakira became a household word with her hit, “Whenever, Wherever” and “Underneath Your Clothes”.

Since Laundry Service, Shakira has put out another six more albums and continues to shine. She is noted for her belly dancing skills, which many claim it to be natural to her
as she comes from a Lebanese heritage. The fact is Shakira can dance like no other
and watching a video of her, you’ll see why she wrote the song, "Hips Don’t Lie".

Currently, Shakira is engaged to Antonia de la Rua, which put her in the spotlight even more, as he is the son of the former president of Argentina. There was, of course, some turmoil as Argentina’s economy collapsed while under his
presidency and it led to Tower Records no longer selling Shakira’s albums due to her association with them. Shakira, however, did not let this interrupt her relationship and is still engaged and planning to marry when her fiancé graduates from college.

This was not the only controversy Shakira has been in. In 2002, there was rumor that while making an appearance on MTV Europe, Shakira stated she would not speak to those callers who were Jewish or Israeli. This, however, has been
refuted and many believe this rumor may have been started due to the tension in the Middle East and her Lebanese heritage.

Shakira is a top performer and nothing gets in her way of performing. With swinging hips and a quality voice, she will continue to do well in her career. After all, in April 2006, Shakira took home six awards at the Latin Billboard Music Awards, including the best female Latin pop album of the year award. She was also given the Spirit of Hope award for all of her work to help improve the conditions for Colombian children.

More recently, on July 9th, 2006, Shakira was honored to be asked to perform live before the FIFA World Cup Germany
2006 Final match. The players were Italy and France in Berlin and Shakira impressed the audience with her hit, "Hips Don’t Lie".