Shakira, whose biography is an example of the brilliant rise of a Colombian to the American musical Olympus, never ceases to delight fans with original creative projects. We will tell you more about the originality of her work, the origins of Shakira's talent, her love story.

Shakira: biography of the singer

Incendiary Shakira in spirit and blood is the daughter of Latin America. It was presented to the world by the sultry climate of the northern part of the Caribbean coast, where the hometown of the star is located - the port of Barranquilla.

The birth of their daughter in 1977 was eagerly awaited by a Lebanese-born jewelry dealer, William Shadid, and his wife, Nydia Ripoll. Shakira was born in February, the 2nd. She was born under the most creative zodiac sign, Aquarius.

Shakira is the only child born in this marriage, but not the only heiress of her father. Loving William was in several marriages, in which eight children of different sexes were born. Thus, Shakira can boast of a large number of brothers and sisters on the paternal side.

The fact that a unique girl was born in the Shadid family became clear when Shakira was a little over a year old. A one and a half year old girl easily mastered the alphabet, and at the age of three she could easily read a fairy tale on her own. At the age of four, she was already ready for school.

As the entrance tests showed, Shakira has unique cognitive abilities: she quickly remembers information and quickly processes data. They started talking about her as a child prodigy.

Moreover, already at the age of four she began to write poetry. Her first poem was called "Crystal Rose". Therefore, it is not surprising that Shakira began to compose songs very early. The first musical composition created by an eight-year-old girl was dedicated to her dead brother. The father, grieving over the loss of his son, wore dark glasses for six long years to hide his sadness. These dark glasses became a symbol of the heartache that little Shakira spoke about in the song.

But this is not the only hobby of young Shakira. She studied ballet and oriental dances, had excellent athletic performance, and sang in the school choir.

Lively, cheerful, restless, harmoniously built, with a beautiful appearance, Shakira attracted the attention of others. Her talents were noted by the competition committee of the show "Long live the children!", where the girl won.

The real singing career of the girl began when she was barely fourteen. The start was given by a representative of Sony Music named Ciro Vargas. He contributed to the recording and release of the first album of the future megastar "Magic" (Magia). With his release, Shakira gained her first fans.

Her popularity was so significant that the sixteen-year-old girl was sent to represent Colombia at an international festival held in Chile. She took third place, performing the original song Eres.

Soon, the young Shakira released the second collection "Danger" (Peligro). It was not as commercially successful as the first album, but the reason for this is not the quality of the songs, but the advertising miscalculation. Soon, her first collections were considered promo albums.

For some time, Shakira suspends active creative activity, as she is preparing to graduate from high school. At the age of eighteen, she creates and releases a song collection called Bare Feet (Pies Descalzos). The hit song in it was the composition "Where are you, heart?". The album was very popular in Latin America and actually made a name for the young performer.

Shakira's work has unique features: Latin American folk, the ballad nature of the songs are combined with acoustic electronic effects, which creates a completely new style direction in pop music.

Songs from the Pies Descalzos album captivated American listeners. It sold in huge circulations (5 million copies), so it was given the status of platinum. A whole year (until 1997) Shakira's tour lasts, during which more than 20 performances took place.

This year has been very fruitful as the singer has written many new songs. Before the start of the recording, a suitcase was stolen from Shakira at the airport, where there were lyrics and notes of the songs. However, this did not stop the creative impulse of the girl. Very quickly, she restores and adds new compositions, combining them into a collection with the symbolic title "Where are the thieves?" (Donde Estan los Ladrones?).

The girl herself produced the release of this collection and did not lose. It went platinum five times. The first day of sales broke all conceivable records - three hundred thousand copies.

Shakira's successes are marked by American creative associations and the music community. For five years, from 1996 to 2001, the Latin American performer:

• was named "Woman of the Year";
• received the title of "Person of the Year";
• she was awarded the Grammy nominations for "Best Latin American Album" and "Best Female Rock Vocal Performance".

In 2001, the performer takes on the creation of an international collection. For him, the girl chose the original name - "Laundry" (Laundry Service). It was the first English-language album in her collection.

The single for the album Whenever, Wherever, whose musical arrangement was created under the influence of Inca music (it used a charango - an instrument resembling a lute, and a multi-barreled flute - a Pan flute), made Shakira world famous.

Shakira has been criticized by fans for preferring the American pop style, leaving behind authentic folk tunes. However, this did not diminish the success of the singer. She is quickly gaining popularity. This disc also goes platinum, and Shakira was recognized as the "Best Performer" (according to the MTV Video Music Awards).

Shakira travels around Spain, implementing a number of charitable programs. This activity influenced the creation of the Spanish-language music compilation Fijación Oral, Vol. 1, which has sold four million copies worldwide. For him, Shakira received four Grammys.

The young performer sang some compositions in a duet with Alejandro Sanz and Miguel Bose, Annie Lennox, Steve Wonder and Usher. But the special delight of the public was caused by her duet with Beyoncé. They recorded the single Beautiful Liar for Beyoncé's album.

Since 2007, Shakira has retired from active work on stage. She returned to creativity in 2009 with the release of the electronic music album She Wolf. She took part in the American version of the Voice show, where she became one of the coaches, created the anthem for the football world championship held in South Africa.

In 2014, Shakira's personalized album appeared. Shakira, whose videos have repeatedly received the prestigious Grammy music awards, were a kind of artistic embodiment of her best musical compositions. However, the clip in which she sang a duet with Rihanna attracted special attention of the public. It was a video sequence illustrating the main theme of the song Can't Remember to Forget You.

Shakira is actively involved in charity work. She repeatedly emphasized that her father instilled in her a sense of compassion and an understanding that successful people have a duty to take care of those who are deprived. Therefore, in 2003, the singer becomes a goodwill ambassador, participates in the campaign against AIDS. He visits Bangladesh and Spain with charity events, as well as the Arab part of Jerusalem.

In 2010–2014 a young woman becomes a member of the White House initiative group, whose activities are aimed at creating educational programs for Hispanic Americans. She takes part in international UN projects, for which she was awarded the prize of the International Labor Organization. For her educational work aimed at combating addictions, MTV awards her the "Free Your Mind" award.

Shakira's songs are sensual, frank and inspiring. She consistently expresses her colorful Latin American cultural beginning in musical compositions.

The singer was the first to make a Latin American breakthrough in music. She made me not just listen to her compositions, but listen and worry. The performer herself surprises with tirelessness and diligence, cheerfulness and kindness.

Shakira: personal life

Shakira's personal life is no less intense than her creative activity. She happened to look for the only one who won her heart for a long time. The popular performer has a lot of broken hearts on her account.

Her admirers and young people with whom she was in a long-term romantic relationship are successful and independent people who have taken place in their professional segment.

Shakira's novels have been repeatedly discussed by online communities, as the singer has always been extremely sincere with fans regarding her personal life. Anticipating the spread of various rumors and gossip, Shakira talked about heart affairs on her page on social networks.

Passionate and incendiary Colombian, possessing an unusually attractive female charisma, has always been the object of male attention. Her first officially known admirer is a successful Argentine lawyer and son of former Argentine President Antonio de la Rua. Shakira met him as soon as she was 23 years old.

These romantic relationships were long enough: for eleven years, Shakira lived in a civil marriage with Antonio. A representative man not only accompanied Shakira at all social events, but also dealt with the bureaucratic issues of her creative activity.

The singer has repeatedly focused on what she considers de la Rua to be her husband, although they have not officially formalized the relationship.

Shakira in 2011 announced that she and Antonio decided to live separately, although both later insisted that they had separated even earlier - in 2010.

It would seem that the couple broke up peacefully, without mutual claims, but this did not prevent de la Rua two years after the break, in 2013, to sue the singer. He demanded monetary compensation (no less - $ 100 million) for taking an active part in the career development of the Colombian star. The court rejected this claim.

The reason for Shakira's separation from Antonio was soon revealed. Increasingly, the paparazzi began to notice the singer at football matches in which the Spanish national team participated. Rumors spread and speculation was born, which was inopportune, because the star was still the common-law wife of Antonio de la Rua.

Therefore, Shakira, a year after breaking up with her previous husband, posted a photo together with her new boyfriend on social networks. It turned out to be the player of the football team Gerard Pique.

With a young man who was ten years younger than Shakira, the singer met while recording a video for the football single Waka Waka. Soon they started dating and living together.

Shakira and Pique are not officially married, although they are raising two sons. The parents named their first child Milan (5 years old), and the second child, 3 years old, Sasha. The couple lives in Barcelona.

Piqué announced in 2017 that Shakira had accepted an offer to marry him. Soon there was news that preparations for the wedding were in full swing.

Shakira with the birth of two sons suspended her creative activity. This is how she described her motherhood:

I am a tiger mom. I spend a lot of time and energy making sure that my children actively develop their cognitive, creative and behavioral skills. I treat everything in my life with great passion, so when motherhood became my main job, I began to invest a lot of energy in this part of my life. It is a beautiful, delightful, inspiring activity, but at the same time very exhausting.

Shakira emphasizes that children have become the meaning of her life, so creativity has faded into the background, turned into a hobby. She is not sorry to lose the rating, popularity, for which she has worked hard since the age of fourteen, because children require a lot of attention and her participation in their little lives.

Shakira has already become a legend of a special style direction in the modern musical world - Latin American rock.

Despite the fact that now she is focused on raising her sons, she is not going to leave the musical field. There is still a long way to go before the end of her career, so she still has a lot to say to the world of music.

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (Spanish: Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll). She was born on February 2, 1977. Known as Shakira or Shakira, she is a Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, music producer, choreographer and model.

Widely regarded as the most successful Latin American artist, having achieved success by the early 2000s in both the Spanish and English music markets.

The name of the singer in Arabic (Arabic شاكِرة‎‎ šākira) means “grateful”, and in Hindi - “goddess of light”.

Born and raised in Barranquilla. She began performing while still at school, showing an interest in Latin American, Arabic and rock and roll music, as well as the ability to belly dance.

Shakira released her first studio albums Magia and Peligro in the early 1990s but did not achieve commercial success; however, her notoriety rose in Latin America with her major label debut Pies Descalzos (1996) and her fourth album Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998).

Shakira entered the English language market with her fifth album Laundry Service (2001). Its lead single "Whenever, Wherever" became the best-selling single of 2002.

Her success was confirmed by the sixth and seventh albums Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), with the latter released the best-selling song of the 21st century, Hips Don't Lie.

The eighth and ninth albums She Wolf (2009) and Sale el Sol (2010) were critically acclaimed but were not promoted due to strained relations with Epic Records.

Her official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) became the best-selling World Cup song of all time. With over 629 million views, the video has become the eighth most viewed video on YouTube.

Since 2013, Shakira has been a judge on the US version of The Voice for seasons four and six. Her tenth album Shakira (2014) was preceded by the lead single Can't Remember to Forget You.

Shakira has won many awards including five MTV Video Music Awards, two Grammys, eight Latin Grammys, seven Billboard Music Awards, twenty-eight Billboard Latin Music Awards and a Golden Globe nomination.

Shakira has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is one of the best-selling artists of all time with sales of over 70 million albums (other sources say over 60 million records) worldwide.

In addition to her work in the music industry, Shakira is involved in philanthropy through charitable work and benefit performances, especially through her Pies Descalzos Foundation, a speech at the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a project of former US President Bill Clinton.

Shakira was listed by Forbes as one of the 100 most powerful women in the world in 2013 and 2014.

Shakira was born on February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia. She is the only child of Nydia Ripoll and William Mebarak Shadid. I learned to read and write very early.

On her paternal side, her ancestors emigrated from Lebanon to New York, where her father was born. On her mother's side, Nydia Ripoll has Spanish (Catalan and Castilian) and Italian ancestry.

Shakira has eight older half-siblings from her father's previous marriage.

Shakira spent most of her youth in Barranquilla, a city located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. She wrote her first poem "La Rosa De Cristal" ("Crystal Rose") when she was four years old.

As she grew older, she was impressed by how her father used to write stories on a typewriter and asked for one for Christmas. She got a typewriter at the age of seven and continued to write poetry. As a result, these poems formed the basis of her songs. When Shakira was 2, her older half-brother crashed on a motorcycle, and at eight Shakira wrote her first song "Tus gafas oscuras" ("Your sunglasses"), dedicating it to her father, who wore sunglasses for years to hide his grief.

When Shakira was four, her father took her to a Mediterranean restaurant, where Shakira first heard about the doomback, an ethnic drum used in Arabic music and to which belly dancers usually danced. She started dancing on the table and it made her realize that she wanted to perform on stage.

She liked to sing for classmates and teachers (and even nuns) at a Catholic school, but in the second grade she dropped out of the school choir because her vibrato was too strong. The music teacher told her that she howled "like a goat".

At school, she met a "ballade dancer" who gave her lessons every Friday at school. "That's how I discovered that I was passionate about performing on stage," she said. To make Shakira grateful for her upbringing, her father took her to a local park to show her how orphans live. This picture remained in her memory forever, and then she said to herself "one day I will help these children when I become a famous artist."

Between the ages of ten and thirteen, Shakira was invited to various events in Barranquilla, earning her some recognition in the field. It was around this time that she met a local theater producer, Monica Ariza, who was impressed by her and, as a result, began to help her move forward in her career. On a flight from Barranquilla to Bogota, Ariza convinced Sony Colombia executive producer Ciro Vargas to audition Shakira in the hotel lobby. Shakira earned high respect from Vargas, who returned to the Sony office and gave the tape to the artistic director. However, he was not particularly happy and thought that Shakira was a "bad business". This did not stop Vargas, he was still convinced that Shakira had talent and held an audition in Bogotá. He arranged for Sony Colombia executives to come to the audition to surprise them with Shakira's performance. She performed three songs and they were impressed enough to sign her to a contract.

Shakira's debut album Magia was recorded on Sony Music Colombia in 1990 when she was 13 years old.

It was a compilation she made at the age of 8 - a mixture of pop-rock with ballads and disco songs with electronic accompaniment. It was not promoted due to lack of unity between recording and production. The album was released in June 1991 with three more singles. Although it was well received on Colombian radio and made the young Shakira famous, the album was a commercial failure selling 1,200 copies worldwide.

After Magia's weak appearance, Shakira's label convinced her to return to the studio to release another record. Despite little fame outside of his native Colombia, Shakira was invited to perform at the Chilean Song Festival in February 1993. The festival provided a chance for Latin American singers to perform their songs, and the winner was chosen by the judges. Shakira performed the ballad "Eres" ("You") and won third place. One of the judges who voted for her was then 20-year-old Ricky Martin.

Peligro's second studio album was released in March, but Shakira did not like the end result, mainly due to disagreements with the production. The album was better received than Magia, although it too failed commercially due to Shakira's refusal to promote it. Then Shakira decided to take a break to finish high school. In the same year, Shakira starred in the TV series The Oasis, based on real events after the Tragedy of Nevado del Ruiz in 1985.

Since then, the albums have been withdrawn from release and were considered not official Shakira albums, but rather promotional albums. Shakira wrote the song "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?" at the beginning. (later released on the Pies Descalzos album) for the Nuestro Rock compilation in 1995, released exclusively in Colombia.

Album Pies Descalzos brought her huge popularity in Latin America with the hits "Estoy Aquí," "Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos" and "Dónde Estás Corazón". Shakira also recorded three tracks in Portuguese "Estou Aqui", "Um Pouco de Amor" and "Pés Descalços".

Shakira returned to recording music under the Sony Music label with Columbia in 1995.

Recording for the album began in February 1995 after the success of the single. "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?". Sony gave Shakira $100,000 to create the album, as they believed the album would sell no more than 100,000 copies. From this album, Shakira began to create her own music, improving her vocals, and most of all practicing a creative approach to her music. Largely influenced by the American alternative market and British bands such as The Pretenders, the songs on the album are melodic, musically stunning and poignant, with wise words and an electronic/acoustic mix that has essentially changed the stereotype of Latin American music with a confident sound that no one created this.

Pies Descalzos was released in February 1996 and debuted at number one in eight different countries. However, it only reached number one hundred-eightieth in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, but number five in the U.S. Billboard Top Latin Albums. The album produced six hits: "Estoy Aquí", which reached number two in the US Latin American chart, "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?", which reached number five in the US Latin American chart, "Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos", which reached US number eleven on the Latin American chart, "Un Poco de Amor" which peaked at number six in the US on the Latin American chart, "Antología" which peaked at number fifteen on the U.S. Latin Pop Songs and "Se quiere, Se Mata", which reached number six in the US on the Latin American chart.

In August 1996, the RIAA certified the album Platinum.

In March 1996, Shakira embarked on her first international tour, the Tour Pies Descalzos. The tour consisted of 20 shows and ended in 1997. In the same year, Shakira received the Billboard Latin Music Awards for Album of the Year for Pies Descalzos, Video of the Year for Estoy Aqui, and Best New Artist. Pies Descalzos later sold 5 million copies, prompting the release of The Remixes, a remix album. The Remixes also included Portuguese versions of several well-known songs that were recorded as a result of its success in the Brazilian market, where Pies Descalzos sold approximately one million copies.

Her fourth studio album Donde Estan los Ladrones?, which was produced entirely by Shakira (and Emilio Estefan Jr. as executive producer), was released in September 1998. The album was written after an incident at the airport in which her suitcase with lyrics was stolen; it became a big hit after Pies Descalzos. The album peaked at number 131 in the U.S. Billboard 200 and stayed at the top of the U.S. Latin Albums eleven weeks. It sold over a million copies (1.5 million in the US alone), becoming one of the best-selling Spanish-language albums in the US.

Eight singles were released from the album: "Ciega, Sordomuda", "Moscas En La Casa", "No Creo" which became her first single to hit the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, "Inevitable", "Tú", "Si Te Vas", "Octavo día" and "Ojos Así". For the last two songs, Shakira has received a Latin American Grammy award, and six of the eight singles hit the top 40 in the US Latin American charts.

Shakira also received her first Grammy nomination in 1999 in the Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album category.

Shakira's first live album, MTV Unplugged, was recorded in New York on August 12, 1999. Highly praised by American critics, it became one of the best performances. This live album earned a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album in 2001 and sold over 5 million worldwide. In March 2000 she left for her Tour Anfibio for two months in Latin America and the USA.

In August 2000, she won the MTV Video Music Award "People's Choice" - "Favorite International Artist" for "Ojos Así". In September 2000, Shakira performed "Ojos Así" at the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards, where she was nominated in five categories: "Album of the Year" and "Best Pop Vocal Album" for MTV Unplugged, "Best Female Rock Vocal Performance" for "Octavo Día", "Best Pop Vocal Performance" and "Best Short Video" for "Ojos Así". She has won two Grammys.

After the success of Donde Están los Ladrones? and MTV Unplugged, Shakira began working on an international album. She has been working on new material for the album for over a year. "Whenever, Wherever" ("Suerte" in Spanish countries) was released as the first and lead single from the first English-language album and the fifth studio album between August 2001 and February 2002. The song was heavily influenced by the genre of Inca music, including the charango and Pan flute in the instruments. She gained international success, reaching number one in many countries. And she had the same success in the US, reaching number six on the Hot 100.

In 2003, Shakira wrote the song "Come Down Love" with Tim Mitchell for the Hollywood film The Italian Job, starring Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg, but the song was not included on the film's soundtrack.

Laundry Service's fifth studio and first English-language album (Servicio De Lavanderia in Latin America and Spain) was released on November 13, 2001. The album debuted at number three in the U.S. Billboard 200 with over 200,000 first week sales. The album was later certified triple Platinum by the RIAA in June 2004.

Shakira's sixth album Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 was released in June 2005. The lead single from the album, "La Tortura", reached the top 40 on the Hot 100. The song featured Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz. Shakira became the first artist to perform a Spanish-language song at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2005.

In June 2006, she embarked on the Oral Fixation Tour. It ran from June 2006 to July 2007 and consisted of 125 shows in six countries. One show in Mexico City was free, with over 200,000 people in attendance. This concert broke all records for the largest attendance in all of Mexican history.

In February 2007, Shakira performed for the first time at the 49th Grammy Awards and earned a nomination in the category "Best Best Collaborative Pop Vocal Performance" for "Hips Don't Lie" with Wyclef Jean.

In early 2008, Forbes named Shakira the fourth highest paid female artist in the music industry. Later in July, Shakira secured a $300 million contract with Live Nation, the world's largest concert management company, for ten years. This group is also a record label that promotes rather than manages the music of recording artists. Shakira's contract with Epic Records was supposed to cover three albums: one in English, one in Spanish, and one compilation album, but when he moved to the company, Live Nation's concerts and other rights began to take effect immediately.

In January 2009, Shakira performed at the Lincoln Memorial with "We Are One" at the inauguration of President Barack Obama. She performed "Higher Ground" with Stevie Wonder and Usher. In March, Shakira appeared on Argentine folk singer Mercedes Sosa's album Cantora 1 on the song "La Maza", which they performed at the ALAS concert in Buenos Aires in May 2008.

She Wolf was released globally in October 2009 and November 23, 2009 in the US. It received mostly positive reviews from critics, but only sold 89,000 copies in its first week in the US, earning it at number fifteen on the Billboard 200. To date, the album has sold 2 million copies worldwide, becoming Shakira's most underperforming album to date. in terms of sales.

Shakira is known for adopting many genres including folk, contemporary pop and rock. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she said: “My music, I think, is a synthesis of various elements. And I experiment all the time. Therefore, I do not try to limit myself or classify myself in any category or ... create a prison for myself. Her previous Spanish albums Pies Descalzos and Dónde Están los Ladrones? were a mixture of folk and Latin American music.

According to Sony, Shakira is the best-selling Colombian artist of all time, with sales of between 50 and 60 million albums.

In 2010, she was ranked fifth on the "Most Popular Video Artists Online 2010" list with 404,118,932 views. She became a YouTube sensation, surpassing 1 billion views on the website with "Waka Waka" with over 550 million views. She is the third person to do this after Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.

In March 2014, Shakira announced that she has the most followers on Facebook and 86 million likes.

In 2011, Shakira was honored to receive the Latin Grammy Award in the 2011 Person of the Year category. She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6270 Hollywood Blvd. She was originally supposed to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004, but she turned down the offer. In 2012, she received the Order of Arts and Letters.

Shakira's height: 157 centimeters

Shakira's personal life:

Shakira speaks Spanish from birth, but is also fluent in English, Portuguese, Italian, Catalan. She also speaks some French.

Shakira is a Catholic, she had an audience with John Paul II in 1998.

She is interested in world history and often studies the history and languages ​​of the different countries she visits. After the end of her Oral Fixation tour in the summer of 2007, Shakira entered the University of California at Los Angeles in the course "History of Western Civilization". She used her middle name and surname, Isabelle Mebarak, and told the professor that she came from Colombia so as not to be recognized.

It is known that Shakira has an IQ of 140, which arguably makes her the smartest singer in the modern stage and one of the smartest artists in the music industry today.

Shakira has a cousin, model and Miss Colombia 2005-2006, Valerie Dominguez.

In 2000, Shakira began dating Argentine lawyer Antonio de la Rua. In a 2009 interview, Shakira stated that they are in a serious relationship, like a married couple, and "they don't need papers for this." On January 10, 2011, Shakira announced on her website that after 11 years together, she and de la Rua had broken up.

In September 2012, it was reported that de la Rua planned to file a $250 million lawsuit against Shakira seeking monetary compensation for his work as her business manager, as well as jointly acquired property. De la Rua ended up suing in California in April 2013, seeking $100 million he believed belonged to him after Shakira abruptly ended her business partnership with him in October 2011, ten months after they split.

Now Shakira is dating Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué, center back from FC Barcelona and the national football team. They met in the spring of 2010 when Piqué appeared in Shakira's video "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" - the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Shakira officially confirmed the relationship on March 29, 2011 via Twitter and Facebook, posting a photo of both with the caption: "I present to you my sunshine." This was the first time she had spoken out about the relationship after months of rumors in the media.

Shakira gave birth to son Milan Pique Mebarak on January 22, 2013 in Barcelona, ​​Spain, where her family lives. On January 29, 2015, the couple had a second son in Barcelona, ​​whom the couple named Sasha.

Discography of Shakira:

Magic (1991)
Peligro (1993)
Pies Descalzos (1995)
Donde Estan los Ladrones? (1998)
Laundry Service (2001)
Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005)
Oral Fixation Vol. 2 (2005)
She Wolf (2009)
Sale el Sol (2010)
Shakira (2014)

Shakira Tours:

Tour Pies Descalzos (1996-97)
Tour Anfibio (2000)
Tour of the Mongoose (2002-03)
Oral Fixation Tour (2006-07)
The Sun Comes Out World Tour (2010-11)

Filmography of Shakira:

1996 - El oasis - Luis Maria
2001-2009 - Saturday Night Live - cameo
2002 - Taina - cameo
2009 - Ugly - cameo
2010 - Wizards of Waverly Place - cameo
2013 - Voice of Yourself - cameo (coach and judge)
2013 - Alice's birthday - Captain

Shakira is a famous singer of Colombian origin, one of the most successful Latin Americans on the world pop scene. Shakira's music is characterized by a special unique style - a mixture of pop-rock, Latino and folk, and her performances always represent whole shows of oriental dances and memorable performances.

Childhood

Shakira Isabel Merabak Ripoll (this is the full name of the singer) was born on February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia. The girl was the only child of Nydia Ripoll and William Shadid, she also had 8 half-brothers and sisters on her father's side. Her dad is Lebanese by origin, whose ancestors left for New York, and her mother has Spanish and Italian roots.

The future celebrity grew up surrounded by books, musical rhythms and precious stones - her father owned a large jewelry store. From early childhood, Shakira began to show interest in literature and music, her parents introduced her to this - her dad William even wrote books. Already at the age of 1.5, the girl knew the alphabet, at 3 she learned to read and write, and at 4 she was already prepared for school.

Later, experts gave Shakira a test and unanimously declared that she was a child prodigy. The mother of the future singer believed that her daughter would grow up as an artist or writer, since the girl drew a lot, and then, at the age of 4, she already began to compose poetry. At the age of 8, Shakira had already written her first song - "Your dark glasses", dedicated to the death of one of her brothers.

At school, an active and beautiful girl was predicted to have a career as a ballerina or dancer, because she simply loved to perform oriental dances and often performed on stage. Then the rising star won the contest "Long live the children!".

A few years later, a journalist named Monica Arias introduced Shakira to an official, Ciro Vargas from Sony Music. The man was impressed by the singing talent of the young talent, and after some deliberation, he signed a contract with her. The girl began to combine her studies with the recording of her first album "Magia".

By the way, at first Shakira sang in the school choir, but soon she was expelled from there, as one of the teachers said that her voice was like the bleating of a goat.

Carier start

Already at the age of 14, with the release of her first album, the charming and talented Colombian gained fame - first in her hometown, and then throughout the country. In 1993, Shakira represented Colombia at the Chilean Music Festival and took third place with her own song "Eres" ("You").

The following year, the young singer has already released her second album "Peligro" ("Danger"). From a commercial point of view, the album was unsuccessful, in addition, Shakira had to make concessions with the management during its recording, which is why the disc lost its originality. Despite unjustified expectations, after graduation, the girl came to grips with the creation of the third album.

At this time, she and her mother moved to the Colombian capital of Bogotá, where she received an invitation to the main role in the TV series Oasis.

In 1994, Sony representatives already wanted to terminate the contract with the singer, but it was at that moment that the girl presented her song called “Dónde Estás Corazón?” (“Where are you, heart?”), which became an instant hit.

Shakira - Donde Estas Corazon

The heyday of a musical career

In the fall of 1996, Shakira, having a rather modest budget at her disposal, presented her third studio album Pies Descalzos (Bare Feet). Finally, a huge success awaited her, thousands of discs sold, an army of fans and the first world tour.

In 1996, Shakira was named "Woman of the Year" and "Man of the Year" - she became the first Colombian who conquered overseas countries, for example, she was very warmly received in Japan. At the same time, the girl received awards from the Billboard Music Awards.

Meanwhile, the public was waiting for the singer's fourth album. When the materials for the disc were already ready, the suitcase with the lyrics was stolen by an unknown person. But still the album "Dónde Están los Ladrones?" (“Where are the thieves?”) was not long in coming. This disc went platinum as much as five times, and on the first day of sales, fans bought up 300,000 copies of it. It was the top Latin American album on the chart for 11 weeks.

In 1999, the singer received her first Grammy nomination for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album, and in 2001 she released a live version of her MTV Unplugged songs. This album made her popular in the USA, and the success was secured by the Grammy Award in the same year.

It's time for an international album - for the most part, the English-language disc "Laundry Service" ("Laundry") conquered the American charts, and the first single "Whenever, Wherever" made Shakira a world star. The US triple platinum album contained other memorable songs that many still love most in the singer's repertoire. These are "Underneath Your Clothes", "The One" and "Objection (Tango)".

Shakira managed to demonstrate the amazing possibilities of her voice, but many - both critics and Latin American fans - were unhappy that the singer preferred American pop music to authentic folk motives. Nevertheless, from a commercial point of view, it was undoubtedly a breakthrough. The young star moved in this direction, soon recording several songs for Pepsi advertising.

In 2005, Shakira released a Spanish CD Fijación Oral Vol. 1", whose singles were rotated mainly in Spanish-speaking countries. In the same year, a “translation” disc in English “Oral Fixation Vol. 2" with the singles "Hips Don't Lie" and "Illegal", which became mega-popular. The girl went on a world tour and gave 150 concerts in 37 countries.

Shakira - Hips Don't Lie ft. Wyclef Jean

In 2007, the singer moved even further, receiving an MTV VMA award and a Grammy nomination along with Beyoncé for the duet “Beautiful Liar”. From that moment began her constant collaborations with other pop stars - she sang with Annie Lennox, Steve Wonder and Usher.

After a long break in her career in 2009, Shakira released the album "She Wolf", unlike anything previous in her discography - more electronic. This did not prevent him from becoming popular, and the single of the same name from winning the hearts of many listeners.

In 2010, the singer was honored to record the official song for the World Cup, which was held in South Africa. The groovy track "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" turned out to be, indeed, a real hymn to summer, positive and joy.

In the fall of 2010, the next disc of the singer "Sale el sol" followed. It recorded songs in both Spanish and English, the most popular of which was "Loca". The album became quite successful and won 13 Billboard de la Musica Latina nominations.

Shakira - Loca (Spanish Version) ft. El Cata

In 2012, Shakira replaced Christina Aguilera as a mentor on the popular vocal show The Voice. In 2014, she released her tenth album, simply titled "Shakira". The track and video recorded with Rihanna - "Can" t Remember to Forget You" was especially popular.

Shakira's personal life

In 1997, it became known about the singer's romance with the fashionable actor Oswald Rios. The lovers hid their feelings in public, but everyone was well aware of their relationship. However, this romance did not last long - the couple broke up after 8 months.

In 2000, Shakira began a relationship with the son of Argentine President Fernando de la Rua Antonio. A year later, the young man proposed to the singer. The lovers planned to get married, but the artist said that all these were rumors. However, the romance lasted long enough. Only in January 2011, Shakira officially announced the break with Antonio.

For almost 11 years, we passionately loved each other ... These were the most wonderful years of our lives ... Meanwhile, since August 2010, our love affair by mutual agreement was temporarily interrupted, although we continued to work together, keeping what happened a secret.

On the set of the Waka Waka video, the girl met Barcelona defender Gerard Pique. The couple have been together since the fall of 2010, but the lovers spoke about their relationship only in March 2011. Soon they moved to Barcelona, ​​and in 2013 their first child, Milan Pique Mebarak, was born. In January 2015, another son, Sasha, was born in the Shakira family.

Shakira now

In 2016, the singer presented to the audience the first single from the next album - "Me Enamoré", and in 2017 she released a disc called "El Dorado". The album was warmly received by the listeners and sold well.

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (Shakira) was born on February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia. Her father, originally from Libya, sold jewelry. In addition to Shakira, he had eight children from another marriage, and she was the only child of her mother. Probably, it was not for nothing that the girl was named Shakira, whose name is translated from Arabic as grateful, and from Hindi as the goddess of light. Even in early childhood, the baby knew how to read well, and her favorite pastime was to perform oriental belly dance.

The girl surprised her parents very much by composing her first song "Tus gafas oscuras" at the age of eight, which she dedicated to her father, who lost his eldest son. Even then, Shakira set herself the goal of becoming a singer and performing on stage. In her school years, the girl sang in the choir, and also mastered dancing skills. At the same time, she performed at city competitions, where a talented girl was noticed by a theatrical producer, Monica Ariz, who later helped Shakira get acquainted with representatives of Sony Colombia.

The beginning of a musical career and world fame

The first album of the young singer was published when the girl was 13 years old, after which she became recognizable in her homeland. In 1993, she took part in a music festival in Chile, where she took third place. Then 15-year-old Shakira recorded a second album, but, like the first, it did not have commercial sales, so it was not a success with music lovers. Then the girl took a break, as she needed to finish her studies.

In 1995, the Colombian singer began to develop a third album, while significantly improving her vocal abilities and developing a creative approach to music. Her third album, Pies descalzos, was released a year later and took quite high positions in the world charts. After that, the singer made her first tour in many cities around the world, which lasted a year. In 1996, Shakira received an award for Album of the Year and Best New Artist. In 2001, the singer's first live album, MTV Unplugged, was released, which won a Grammy for Best Latin American Pop Album.

Soon the singer began to work on the first album in English, which appeared at the end of 2001. Despite the fact that the Laundry Service album became Shakira's most successful work in her entire creative career, some music critics did not like her English. It was also not to the liking of Latin American music lovers, who condemned the Colombian singer for switching to American pop music. In 2002, the star traveled around the cities of North and South America, Europe and Asia with his concert show.

Three years later, Shakira recorded a new album Fijación Oral, Vol.1 in Spanish, where she performed one song with Alejandro Sanz (Alejandro Sanz). Further, the performer also collaborated with rapper Wyclef Jean (Wyclef Jean), releasing a dance video for the song "Hips Don't Lie." By the way, Shakira's outfits in this video were taken from the participants of the carnival in Brazil. In 2007, the star sang a duet with Beyonce, who was then just promoting her singing career. In 2009, the Colombian singer released the album She Wolf, after which the Spanish version immediately appeared. In 2010, for the World Cup held in South Africa, Shakira recorded the song "Waka Waka", which became the official anthem of the sporting event. In the clip, shots where the passionate singer dances rhythmically with the inhabitants of Africa are replaced by excerpts from a football match.

In 2011, Shakira was awarded the Latin Grammy Award in the 2011 Person of the Year nomination, and she also received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The following year, the Colombian singer was awarded the Order of Arts and Letters. Since 2013, Shakira has taken part in the American show The Voice, where she was a member of the jury. In early 2014, Shakira sang with Rihanna a new song "Can't Remember to Forget You", which was included in her new album Shakira. In the video, the two performers were filmed in fairly explicit scenes, which, for sure, their many fans really liked.

On the eve of the World Cup in Brazil, the Colombian recorded a video clip for the official anthem of the sporting event, but many fans did not like this work. In addition, Shakira's single turned out to be worse than the composition of Jennifer Lopez (Jennifer Lopez) and Pitbull We are One. The celebrity reshot the video, using her lover Gerard Pique and one-year-old son Milan in it. In addition, football players James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao appeared in the frames. At the closing ceremony of the 2014 FIFA World Cup (World Cup), which took place at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Shakira performed the song Dare (La La La) along with Brazilian singer Carlinos Brown. The Colombian beauty appeared on stage in a dress in the form of red ribbons and barefoot, accompanying her singing with incendiary dances.

In the fall of this year, it became known that Shakira had collected 100 million "likes" on Facebook, thanks to which she got into the Guinness Book of Records. The performer fell in love with many music lovers for her dances, which are based on oriental belly dance. According to Shakira, she began to learn this art as a child in order to cope with her shyness. Then the star began to work with several well-known choreographers, developing the plasticity of her body, but in the future she came up with many movements herself.

A video appeared on the network in which students from Oxford covered the hits of the Colombian star, recording their a cappella version on video. According to the soloist of the choir, Josh Barr, the singer is a global celebrity, so the video was watched by many users from all over the world. The students donated all proceeds from the sale of the single to Oxford Children's Hospice to help seriously ill children. Shakira herself supported the undertaking of the students, noting that she not only liked the potpourri, but also that they did it with good intentions.

The Colombian singer, one of the most sought-after artists in the music industry, has received many awards during her career, such as the MTV Video Music Awards, Grammy Awards, Latin Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Billboard Latin Music Awards, as well as a nomination for Golden Globe.

Shakira's personal life

In 2000, Shakira began a long-term romance with Antonio de la Rua, the son of the then president of Argentina. Shakira remembers those times with her former lover as the best years of her life, and it was then that she wrote many of her hits. The singer and the lawyer who produced her even began preparing for the wedding, but due to the Argentine crisis, the ceremony was postponed. From that time on, a discord ensued in their personal lives, and in early 2011, the star announced on her page that they had broken up. But Antonio did not want to let go of his ex-lover so easily and began to demand from her monetary compensation in the amount of $ 250 million for the work of the producer, as well as for joint property. But the enterprising businessman was left with nothing, as the court rejected his claim, arguing that Shakira was already a well-known and highly paid artist before meeting him.

Pictured is Shakira with ex-boyfriend Antonio de la Rua

In 2010, for the World Cup in South Africa, the performer filmed a video for the song Waka Waka, in which many players were involved, including Spanish national team defender Gerard Pique. Journalists immediately noticed that the 33-year-old petite singer was fascinated by the 23-year-old tall athlete, but at that time the star was still dating an Argentine lawyer, who was distinguished by a jealous character.

After meeting Pique, Shakira immediately broke up with her former lover and celebrated her 34th birthday already in the company of a new boyfriend, who was born the same way as her on February 2. The couple in love hid their romance, and the paparazzi could not photograph them together for a long time. But even after the general picture, the singer and the football player did not talk about their personal lives until the team coach intervened. After that, the lovers publicly announced their romance, which was gaining momentum. Soon there were rumors about Gerard's betrayals with a young girl, and the lovers parted. Shakira was having a hard time breaking up, and it was during that period that she made a short haircut. But after a few months, the singer and the footballer reunited, and once again took walks through the streets of Barcelona.

In the photo Shakira with her husband, football player Gerard Pique

After a while, many started talking about the fact that Shakira and Pique would soon become parents. The reasons for these speculations were Gerard's message about the birth of their first child, which turned out to be a joke. But six months later, the singer's father William Mebarakk said in an interview that his daughter would soon give a grandson. After that, Shakira was forced to talk about the pregnancy on her website. The future mother stopped hiding her position and even decided to appear almost before the birth in an unusual photo shoot, where she was photographed with her lover. In the pictures, Shakira, who has almost no clothes, bared her big tummy, and standing next to him, half-naked Pique, gently hugs his beloved.

Video with son Milan

In January 2013, the first-born of the singer and football player was born, to whom the lovers gave the name Milan. Now young parents very often post photos of their baby, which gives them many happy moments. Milan goes to the stadium with his mother to support his father who is a football player, and he already has a Barcelona uniform, which was made especially for him. In addition, the baby is a frequent guest on The Voice show, where the singer evaluates the performance of the participants. Very soon, Shakira and Gerard will teach their baby different languages, as they are sure that at an early age, children not only willingly acquire new knowledge, but also learn it better. For now, 2-year-old Milan speaks Spanish, but soon he will be able to communicate with his parents in seven languages.

Despite the fact that Shakira and Pique have the most tender feelings for each other, they are in no hurry to formalize their relationship, considering it an unnecessary procedure. This spring, the singer admitted that she wants to become a mother again, but so far her musical projects have been hindering this. According to the star, she would have given birth to Gerard at least nine children so that they would have their own football team. Recently it became known that the lovers are again waiting for replenishment in the family. This good news was told to journalists by Shakira's parents, who said that she would soon have another boy. Soon the star personally confirmed this information.

Participation in commercials and charity work

In 1997, Shakira became the founder of the Fundacion Pies Descalzos ("Bare Feet Foundation"), a charitable foundation that helps low-income families with children. Even in her childhood, her father showed her how children who were left without parents live. The girl, shocked by what she saw, decided to definitely help such children when she becomes a famous singer. The star does not forget her hometown of Barranquilla, where she built a new school. In 2011, Shakira joined the White House Commission to raise the education of young Hispanics. In addition, the singer is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, as well as a well-known philanthropist. It should be noted that the famous Colombian knows Spanish, English, Portuguese and other languages, and is also interested in the history of different countries.

Shakira's filmography is small and consists of several pictures in which she mainly played herself. Her first appearance on the screen was in 1994 in the telenovela El Oasis, where Luis Maria became her heroine. Then in 2009, she starred in the series Ugly Girl, and a year later, in Wizards of Waverly Place.

In 2010, the star partnered with Puig to create her own beauty line, S by Shakira, which launched the fragrance S Shakira, containing notes of jasmine, sandalwood, amber and vanilla. In 2012, another perfume Elixir by Shakira appeared with notes of white pepper, neroli, freesia and peony. Shakira presented him in an advertising campaign in an unusual way: the singer in a long skirt with a floral print stands in the middle of the desert sands, and an eagle sits on her arm. The following year, the Colombian advertised her third fragrance, S by Shakira Aquamarine, which included the vitality of nature and the cool freshness of the ocean. In the promotional image, the singer is depicted in an iridescent dress that looks like a mermaid's body.

Earlier this year, Shakira became an international brand ambassador for Blend-a-med by starring in a promotional video in which she introduced Blend-a-med 3DWhite whitening toothpaste. According to representatives of this company, they chose her because the singer is a professional and successful person and, in addition, a radiant smile always shines on Shakira's face. The singer herself was also satisfied with this cooperation, noting that by joint efforts with a well-known brand she will help Colombian children. Shakira is also the face of Activia, who filmed her in a video where she dances in a fairy forest. At the same time, the Colombian not only showed her positive mood and excellent health, but also emphasized the connection with the work of the digestive system, which improves with the use of Activia products.

Shakira is a famous singer and the most successful Latin American performer on the modern stage, the author of popular musical compositions "Waka Waka", "Loka", "La, la, la".

Now the total sales of copies of her albums reach 60 million units. And the celebrity is considered the smartest pop singer of our time with an IQ of 140.

Childhood and youth

Shakira Isabelle Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977 in the Colombian city of Barranquilla. The family of Nydia Ripoll and William Nebarak Shadid raised 8 more children from Shadid's previous marriages. The father of the future star was a rich man, owned a jewelry store and was fond of writing prose.

At a young age, Shakira learned the alphabet, read and wrote in her native language. The girl began to write poetry at the age of 4, and by the age of 7 she got her own typewriter. As a child, she became interested in belly dancing, so her parents immediately sent the young star to learn to dance.

The girl was predicted to be a writer, artist and dancer, but Shakira became a world-famous singer and, in addition, gained significant weight in society as a philanthropist.

Music

In 1990, at a local talent competition, the young singer met theater journalist Monica Ariza. Thanks to the connections of Monica, who was interested in Shakira's career growth, the future star signed a contract with the Colombian branch of Sony Music.

On June 24, 1991, Shakira released an album called Magia. The disc consisted of 9 compositions written by the singer herself and Colombian composers. "Magia" was not commercially successful, like the second disc, but they brought the young artist popularity in her homeland.

After graduating from school in 1994, Shakira tried herself as a film actress in the melodramatic series El Oasis. For the main role of Luisa Maria, the Colombian magazine TV GUIA named her "Miss TVK" and organized the first photo shoot for the future pop star.

Shakira - "Pies Descalzos"

In 1995, Shakira recorded the song "Dónde Estás Corazón" especially for the album "Nuestro Rock". The composition instantly became a hit within Latin America. At concerts, the miniature singer (the performer's height is 157 cm, weight - 48 kg) amazed the audience not only with her strong voice and vocal technique, but also with choreographic numbers. Released in 1996, the disc "Pies Descalzos" became the first official studio project of the girl. The album's budget was $100,000 and quickly paid off. It went platinum in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.

Already in her youth, Shakira became an international star. Music critics positively evaluated the studio project of the Colombian singer. In 1997, the album received 2 Billboard Latin Music Awards and became a nominee at the Lo Nuestro ceremony.

Singer Shakira in her youth

In 1997, upon arrival in Bogota, it turned out that most of the pop singer's things, including the lyrics of new songs, were stolen by unknown people. Shakira was forced to start work on the album almost from scratch, perpetuating this incident in the title of the record "Dónde Están los Ladrones?" ("Where are the thieves?").

In September 1998, the singer released her second official album, compositions from which immediately topped the local charts. Despite the Hispanic nature of the album, Shakira's creation is very popular in the United States.

In 1999, Shakira was nominated for her first Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock. The singer recorded her first live album, MTV Unplugged, which took place in the grand ballroom of Manhattan Center in New York. The album received 5 Grammy nominations, winning 2 of them.

To secure the international market, Shakira decided to record an English-language album. For 2 years, the singer worked on recording a new disc, which was to finally win the hearts of the listeners. On August 27, 2001, the song "Whenever, Wherever", a single from her upcoming album, sounded on the radio. The song becomes an instant hit.

Shakira - "Whenever, Wherever"

In November 2001, the first English-language album "Laundry Service" was released. The record was a resounding success among listeners around the world. However, some music critics reproached Shakira for copying the style of American pop music and losing the Spanish charm of the songs.

In 2005, Shakira released the Spanish-language album Fijación Oral, Vol. one". The album has sold over 4 million copies worldwide and won over 15 music awards. The single "Hips Don" t Lie "was a resounding success, becoming the best-selling single of the last 10 years. The album consisted of 12 songs and received 4 music awards.

In 2007, Shakira sang a duet with another world-famous star. The song "Beautiful Liar" was featured on Beyoncé's exclusive B'Day album and won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration. In addition, the song set a record on the Billboard Hot 100 chart - the single soared from 94th to 3rd line, demonstrating the most dramatic change in position in the history of the chart.

In the same 2007, Shakira, under the name Isabelle Mebarak, entered the University of California, Los Angeles.

Shakira - "She Wolf"

In 2009, the celebrity presented to the public a new single "She Wolf", which was very popular with listeners. However, the self-titled album "She Wolf" itself could not surpass the success of the performer's previous records. The disc contains 12 songs performed in the synth-pop genre.

In 2010, the singer recorded the song "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" for the World Cup in South Africa. The football anthem was a success and reached the 20th position of the world charts. After the release of the single, the 7th album of the pop star "Sale el Sol" was released, and his main song "Loca" again conquered the world charts.

Shakira - "Loka"

The recording of the 10th album lasted a long 3 years. Due to events in her personal life and participation in other projects, Shakira constantly pushed back the release date of the record. On January 13, 2014, the public heard the first track of the album - the single "Can't Remember to Forget You", performed in a duet with an equally popular singer.

The song was favorably received by listeners and critics, earning first positions in many charts of the world. In March of the same year, the long-awaited studio project of the artist called "Shakira" was released.

Shakira and Rihanna - "Can't Remember to Forget You"

In the same year, Shakira performed the song "La La La" at the closing ceremony of the World Cup in Brazil.

In 2016, the singer again, for the first time in 2 years, sang in Spanish. The singer recorded the song "Chantaje" in a duet with the young Colombian singer Maluma. Other duets were the tracks "Comme Moi" with the French rap artist Black M and "Deja vu" for the disc of Prince Royce.

The songs were included in the track list of the singer's latest album "El Dorado", which was released in May 2017. The collection debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and was nominated for a number of prestigious international awards. Thanks to this work, the artist again managed to become the winner of the Grammy, Billboard Music and iHeartRadio Music awards.

Shakira and Maluma - "Chantaje"

Shakira also pleased English-speaking fans - in the same year, the singer joined the team of the cartoon Zootopia. The picture received numerous "Annies" and was nominated for an Oscar, and the artist gave her voice to the pop star Gazella and performed the song "Try Everything", which became the main soundtrack of the cartoon.

Soon, on social networks, the singer posted a photo against the background of a board with the names of cities, among which Kyiv appears. This gave fans a reason to assume that Shakira plans to take part in Eurovision 2017 as the headliner of the event, which just took place in the capital of Ukraine.

Business and charity

In the late 90s, Shakira began to seriously engage in charity work. Even as a child, she saw orphans living in a city park, and promised herself to help them when she became a famous singer.

The woman kept her word by founding the Pies Descalzos Foundation in 1997 to help poor children. Initially, the foundation founded 5 schools throughout Colombia, where pupils are taught and fed.

In 2003, the singer's biography was replenished with another charity project. Shakira became the official representative of UNICEF - goodwill ambassador. She has campaigned against AIDS in Spain, visited Bangladesh after the devastating Cyclone Sidr, and met with students in Jerusalem to discuss the benefits of education.

Also in 2010, Shakira's merits in charity were awarded a medal from the UN International Labor Organization and the Free Your Mind award from the MTV music channel. In 2011, the singer became a member of the White House Hispanic Education Initiative.

Perfume Shakira S by Shakira

Then the singer began to develop her own business. She launched the S by Shakira cosmetic line. The first products of the brand were eau de toilette "S by Shakira" and "S by Shakira Eau Florale", lotions and body sprays. After a while, the collection of fragrances of the brand was replenished with perfumes "Elixir by Shakira", "Dance" and "Dance Diamonds".

Personal life

Since 2000, Shakira has been dating lawyer Antonio de la Rua. Together, the couple attended many important events. Antonio helped his beloved in everything, supporting her undertakings. The couple did not enter into an official marriage, but the singer emphasized that she perceives Antonio as a husband, they just do not need seals and papers to consider the relationship serious.

After 11 years of romance, the singer confirmed that she broke up with de la Rua by mutual agreement in the summer of 2010. Despite Shakira's assurance that she and Antonio had no ill will towards each other, de la Rua sued the pop singer in 2013, demanding $100 million in compensation for his work in developing the singer's career.

The California court rejected the lawyer's claim, indicating that such a case should be considered in Colombia.

In 2010, on the set of the video for the song "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", Shakira met her future husband, a football player. A year later, she decided to debunk all the rumors and speculation regarding her personal life and posted a joint photo with Gerard in her personal accounts in