Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia. With a Lebanese father and Colombian mother, she began writing songs at just eight years old and signed her first record deal as a teenager. Her initial albums Magia and Peligro had modest impact, but her breakthrough came with Pies Descalzos (1995) and ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998), establishing her as a Latin music star.
The global breakthrough followed in 2001 with the English-language album Laundry Service, featuring hits like “Whenever, Wherever” and “Underneath Your Clothes.” The album sold over 13 million copies, becoming the best-selling album by a Latina artist. She continued her success with albums such as Fijación Oral, Vol. 1, Sale el Sol, El Dorado, and Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (2024), which showcased emotional depth and genre diversity.
Shakira is also a committed philanthropist. She founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation to support education for underprivileged children and has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2003. At the 2025 Grammy Awards, she won Best Latin Pop Album and dedicated it to immigrant and working-class communities, sharing the moment with Jennifer Lopez and her sons.
In 2025, she launched the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, her first in over seven years, reaffirming her enduring presence and influence on the global stage.
