Shakira
 |
| Birth name |
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll |
| Born |
February 2, 1977 |
| Age |
32 |
| Origin |
Barranquilla, Colombia |
|
Shakira, full name Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, was born on February, 2nd 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia. She is a world famous Colombian singer, dancer, musical producer and the philanthropist. Father-Lebanese and mother-Colombian gave her a name which in translation from Arabic means “a woman full of grace and good fortune”, and in Hindi it means “the goddess of light”. She is the last child in the family. Her childhood Shakira spent in her native city Barranquilla. Her childhood passed among books and the Latin American rhythms. Her father was the owner of jeweler shop on San Blas. After a while Shakira showed interest to music and literature. At the age of three Shakira could already read and write and at four already wanted to go to school but inflexibility of local laws of education prevented her from doing that. At four little Shaki already wrote verses. Parents at first thought that their child would become a poetess or artist. At school the teacher saw in the future star a ballerina as she often danced. Favourite dance of Shakira since her early childhood till now is belly dance. Only at the age of 8 parents saw her as a future singer. At this age wrote a song (Tus gafas oscuras). Her first album — Magia, Shakira recorded down at 13 having signed a contract with Sony Discos. Shakira always was attracted by rock but producers from the Sleepyhead believed that pop-songs are better for her. However the album had no success. The second album of the singer — Peligro (Danger) — also didn’t make the future star popular, having lost on sales even to preceding disk. The sound record company Sony Discos which initially signed with the young singer a contract for three albums gave her last chance to which Shakira exposed a condition of non-interference to her work. The release in 1995 of a new album under the aegis of the Colombian producer Luis Fernando Ochoa — Pies descalzos, suenos blancos (Bare feet, high dreams) became a break for Shakira both in her homeland and on both American continents. The album was a mix of pop-rock and Latin American rhythms and brought to the singer extraordinary success in Latin America having been sold in circulation of 4 million copies. The singer managed to fix her success by the release of her next disk — Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (Where are the thieves?) which is considered till now to be her best creation for all her Spanish-speaking career. The world recognition Shakira achieved in 2001 due to the hit Whenever, Wherever and five years later for the first time headed Billboard Hot 100 with single Hips Don’t Lie, written down with the assistance of Wycliffe Jean. In 2000 Shakira started dating with Antonio de la Rúa the son of that time Argentina president Fernando de la Rúa. In March, 2001 Antonio made her a proposal. The couple planned to get married in September 2007. But in one of her interviews in September, 2007 Shakira denied the information about the coming wedding as doubtful rumor. Nevertheless she continues dating with Antonio, motivating it by the fact that it is more pleasant for her to be “forever bride” than “forever wife”.
