Early Life and Cultural Roots of Shakira:
Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, on February 2, 1977, Shakira is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and dancer. She went on to become one of the most well-known Latin American recording artists of the early 21st century thanks to her incredibly successful career in both the Spanish and English language markets. Shakira, the daughter of a Colombian mother and a Lebanese father, started belly dance at a very young age.
She began writing songs and participating in talent competitions by the time she was ten years old. She signed a record deal in 1990 when a local theater producer helped her try out for a Sony Corp executive. Her first two albums, Magia (1991) and Peligro (1993), were only moderately successful, though. Shakira had a strong comeback with Pies descalzos (1995) following a hiatus from recording to perform in the Colombian telenovela El Oasis. “Estoy aquí,” “Pienso en ti,” and “Un poco de amor” are just a few of the popular tracks on the album.
Shakira’s 1998 album “Dónde México los ladrones?” included a number of hit singles. She was the recipient of two Latin Grammy Awards: Best Rock Vocal Performance (Octavo Rodríguez) and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (Ojos Rodríguez). After that, she concentrated on making a name for herself in the English-speaking market and becoming well-known in the US. Her debut English-language album, Laundry Service, was released in 2001, the same year that her album MTV Unplugged (2000) received a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album.
Laundry Service sold over 13 million copies worldwide and peaked at number three on the Billboard album chart, despite several critics doubting her English composition abilities (she wrote all the songs herself). “Whenever, Wherever” and “Underneath Your Clothes,” two of its singles, rose to the Top 10 in the US.
In 2005, Shakira maintained her crossover success by publishing the English-language Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 in November and the Spanish-language Fijě oral, vol. 1 in June. Her single “Hips Don’t Lie” (with Wyclef Jean) peaked at the top of charts worldwide in 2006, and both albums debuted in the Top Five in the United States. A music video featuring Shakira’s belly dancing in a carnival-style environment was included with the song. Her song “La Tortura” won both Song of the Year and Record of the Year at that year’s Latin Grammy Awards.
Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 earned a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album in addition to being nominated Album of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Album. Oral Fixation Tour, a live performance CD, was made available in 2007. Shakira played in Hamburg that same year as part of Live Earth, a global concert series aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and climate change awareness.
Shakira adopted an electro-pop vibe for her subsequent English-language album, She Wolf (2009). After the song was selected as the official anthem of the 2010 World Cup, she collaborated with South African band Freshlyground on “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” which became another international smash the next year. Her lively, varied Sale el sun (2010), which took home the Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album, also featured the song.
Shakira was a coach on the American singing competition The Voice from 2013 to 2014. Shakira (2014), which included duets with Rihanna and country singer Blake Shelton, one of her fellow judges on The Voice, marked her comeback to album recording. Shakira had a performance during the 2014 World Cup closing ceremony in Brazil the same year. El Dorado (2017), her subsequent album, took home two Grammy Awards: one for Best Latin Pop Album and another for Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album. The single “La Bicicleta,” a duet with Carlos Vives, was El Dorado’s best-known song and won the Latin Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performed at the 2020 Super Bowl halftime performance. Several Latin American musical genres, including salsa, rumba, mambo, and samba, were featured in their thrilling performance. Shakira received particular recognition for introducing two Afro-Colombian dances to the world stage: champeta and mapalé.
Shakira released a number of successful singles throughout the ensuing years, including “Don’t Wait Up” (2021) and “Don’t You Worry” (2022), the latter of which was a joint effort with the Black Eyed Peas. Her first album in seven years, Las mujeres ya no lloran, was published in 2024 and had a number of songs that had already achieved success in 2022 and 2023.
Te Felicito with Shakira Bzrp and Rauw Alejandro Music Sessions Vol. 53,” a biting and widely discussed diss track directed at her ex-boyfriend Gerard Piqué, which was produced with Bizarrap. The latter went on to become a Top 10 success in the US and a global chart-topper. Las mujeres ya no lloran took home the Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album in 2025.
Additionally, Shakira has provided voice acting for animated movies. She served as a judge on the reality series Dancing with Myself (2022) and provided the voice of Gazelle in the 2016 film Zootopia. She has dedicated a great deal of time and effort to social problems outside of entertainment. She traveled throughout the world as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2003 to bring attention to the difficulties that children in less developed nations face. Additionally, she established the Pies Descalzos Foundation, which aims to assist Colombian children who have been displaced due to conflict.