Shakira isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born in barranquilla, Colombia, on February 2, 1997. She is the daughter of aColombian mother and a Lebanese fathher. 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 Ledanese grandmother, and she used to love to perform-dancing and singing. According to one story, Shakira was kicked out fo achoir because her strong voice drowned out the other singers.