Two year 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 song in English first came up during Shakira’s partnership with producer Emilio Estefan and his wife, singer Gloria Estefan. Together they produced 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 albums, she is already the voice of a new generation. In 2003, she became the youngest ever UNlCEF (United Nations lnternational Children’s Emergency Fund)
Goodwill Ambassador. Shakira also runs a foundation to help poor children in Colombia called Pies Descalzos (Barefeet).