The Graceful One
Her name means “woman full of grace” in Arabic, and, gracefully, she has danced and sung all the way to the Grammy and MTV Award. In 2008,her creative talents earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe award for writing the best original song for a film. In short, she has become one if the most popular Latin pop stars-and an international sensation.
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born in Bareanquilla,Colombia,on February 2,1977.She is the daughter of a Colombian mother and a Lebanese father.shakira's love for music was evident early on, and she wrote her first song at the age of 8.She learned belly-dancing from her Lebanese grandmother,and she used to love to perform-dancing and singing .According to one story ,Shakira was kicked out of a choir because her strong voice drowned out the other singers.
when shakira was 10 she won her frist national talent contest and she went on winning other show singing and playing the guitar in 1990 she singned a deal with siny music in colombia and recorded her first album magia (magic) with songs she wrote between the ages of 8 and 13 as a result she was chosen to represent her country at the international oti song festival in spain however because she was under the minimum age of 16 she wasn't allowed to participate so instead shakira revorded a second album of original material peligeo (danger) back in volombia then she tiik a break from music and went back to school
two years later,in 1995,Shakira recorded Pies Descalzos (Barefeet), a smash hit, which sold four million copies worldwide. She went on a world tour and performed to sold-out audiences. In 1998, she abandoned the light-pop format she was doing and recorded her very own brand of music: a blend of pop and rock. The result was another hit: Donde Estan Los Ladrones? (Where Are the Thieves?) The idea to do songs in English first came up during shakira's partnership with producer Emilio Estefan and his wife, singer Gloria Estefan. Together they producer Laundry Service. The most extraordinary thing about the album is the way Shakira was able to translate her Latin American sensibility into a new language.
Shakira is the most exciting singer/songwriter to come out of Latin America in years. For the millions that buy her album, she is already the voice of a new generation. In 2003, she became the youngest ever UNICEF(United Nations International Children,s Emergency Fund) Goodwill Ambassador. Shakira also runs a foundation to help poor children in Columbia called Pies Descalzos (Barefeet).