Shakira

Shakira Isabel mebarak Ripoll was born on a wednesday, february 2,1977, in the Clinica Asuncion de Barranquilla (Colombia). Daughter of a respected jeweler of lebanese descent, Don William Mebarak Chadid, and his Colombian wife, Nidia Ripoll Torrado, The child was the couple's blessing and their only daughter. In naming the newborn, Nidia had shuffled through several names containing the letter "K" to go well with the sound of the "K" in Mebarak.

She had considered Karime and Katiuska but finally chose Shakira, an arabic name derived from the word "Shukram which means "Grace" the most literal translation is "woman full of Grace" , even though Shakira has said she identifies more with its second meaning, "Grateful."

Colombians said that the newborn was chubby and had curly hair, thick eyebrows, and a healthy set of lungs. What nobody knew was that those lungs would inscribe her name in Music History

Her father william mebarak was born in NY, but shortly after he was born his family moved to Barranquilla. Nidia ripoll Torrado, on the other hand was born in Barranquilla and has Catalan blood. When they Married, Don Willian was divorce and already had seven children from his previous marriage, so Shakira came into this world as the youngest child with quite a few siblings willing to spoil her. Don William has been a key figure in Shakira's formation and sibility.

When Shakira was a child, Nidia discovered that Shakira had a gift for writing. According to Colombian Columnists, Shakira Knew the Alphabet by the age of eighteen months, at three she knew how to read, and by the time she was four, she was ready for school. It seemed as though she Might have been a child prodigy. At least that's what Nidia believed, so she had her academically tested to determine if the little girl was a genius.

Shakira lived alone with her parents, though it was quite frequent for her half siblings to come over, be it to baby-sit or to play with her, since they live only a few blocks away. that may be why when Shakira talks about her family she includes her brothers and sisters (omitting the "Half") as well as her parents. Of all her father's children, Shakira never met her oldest half brother because he died before she was born. Her oldest sister Lucy is a surgeon, Alberto her brother is a lawyer, Moises is the thrid child, Tonino is the fourth child and the closest to Shakira, having worked many years as her road manager. Then is Patricia who lives in Spain, she is a special education teacher, and finally there is Antonio and Edward, the youngest who lives in Miami

Synopsis of Shakira

Singer, songwriter. Born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia. With a Lebanese father and Colombian mother, Shakira honors her Latino and Arabic heritage in her music. She wrote her first song at the age of 8 and signed her first record deal at 13.

After her first two albums flopped, Shakira took the reins of her third album, becoming involved in every aspect of its production. Released in 1996, Pies Descalzos, meaning "bare feet," sold more than three million copies. The album featured her trademark sound, a blending of Latin, rock, and Arabic musical styles. The follow-up record, Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (1998), which translates as "Where are the thieves?," reached the top of Billboard's Latin charts. Based on the success of her albums, Shakira became a music superstar in the Spanish-language markets, known for her strong vocals and incredible hip-shaking belly dance moves.

While hugely popular in much of the rest of the world, Shakira had not yet achieved a major record on the U.S. pop charts. She moved to Miami with her family to further her goal, and taught herself to write songs in English. She enlisted Emilio Estefan, of Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine fame, to act as her manager and producer. Her first English-language album, Laundry Service (2001), provided Shakira with the success in the United States that she longed for—the album was No. 3 on the charts, selling more than 200,000 copies in the first week. The songs "Whenever, Wherever" and "Underneath Your Clothes" were both big hits.

Shakira returned to the top 10 of the albums chart in 2005 twice. She first released the Spanish-language Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 in June, which was followed in November by English-language Oral Fixation, Vol. 2. She received the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album for Fijación Oral, Vol. 1, her second time winning such an honor. Previously, she had won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album for 2000's Shakira: MTV Unplugged.

 

Touring extensively, Shakira released two concert albums: 2007's Live and 2008's Oral Fixation Tour. In July 2009, Shakira released the new single, "She Wolf," from her studio album of the same name. The album went platinum in 2010, and hit No. 15 on the Billboard charts in 2009. Her hit "Waka Waka" from her 2010 album Sale el Sol became the theme song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The global superstar headed on tour shortly after to promote her album.

Shakira Biography

  

Date of Birth

2 February 1977, Barranquilla, Colombia

Birth Name

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll

Nickname

Shaki

Height

5' 2" (1.57 m)

Shot Biography

Grammy-winning Latina pop singer Shakira was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, on February 2, 1977. Her father is a Lebanese-American immigrant and her mother a native of Colombia of Italian and Spanish decent. Shakira began her musical career at age 12 and quickly captured fans throughout Latin America. She won the 2001 Best Latin pop Grammy for her "MTV Unplugged" album.