Born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, she is better known by her stage name Shakira, is a Colombian songwriter and singer. On February 2, 1977, she was born in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Shakira is considered the ‘Queen of Latin Music’ due to the powerful Latin influence in her songs. She is also known for her versatility in music.
Music Career
Shakira debuted with her album, Magia, in 1991, at the age of thirteen. Though produced by Sony Music Colombia, her album failed to achieve success. Her second album Peligro released in 1993 and met with the same fate as her debut album.
She gained popularity in Spanish-speaking countries with her subsequent two albums, titled ‘Pies Descalzos’ and ‘Donde Estan Los Ladrones?’
She made her English-language debut with her 2001 album, ‘Laundry Service.’ The album sold over 13 million copies globally and cemented her reputation as a leading crossover artist. Her singles, ‘Whenever, Wherever,’ and ‘Underneath Your Clothes,’ became international number-one singles.
Broadcast Music, Inc. is the most significant music rights organization in the U.S. According to them, Shakira is a pioneer who helped Latin singers reach out globally.
Shakira’s Spanish albums, Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1, Sale el Sol, and El Dorado, ruled the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and were all certified diamond.
Her English albums, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, She Wolf and Shakira, were certified gold, platinum, and multi-platinum.
Her songs, namely, ‘Hips Don’t Lie,’ ‘Beautiful Liar,’ ‘La Tortura,’ ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),’ ‘Loca,’ and ‘Chantaje’ have charted at number one across several music charts.
Apart from her singing career, Shakira has served as a coach on the American singing reality series ‘The Voice’ for two seasons, in 2013 and 2014.
Accolades
Shakira is regarded as the pioneer and opened doors for Latin artists in the International music scene. One of the best-selling music artists ever, Shakira has sold over 80 million albums.
According to a Forbes report in 2018, Shakira is the only female Latin artist to have sold the maximum number of albums in history.
Shakira has also received several awards for her music. A list of her awards includes thirty-nine Billboard Latin Music Awards, twelve Latin Grammy Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, six Guinness World Records, four MTV Video Music Awards, and three Grammy Awards.
Shakira has a star dedicated to her on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Billboard named Shakira as the Top Female Latin Artist of the Decade two times in a row; once in the 2000s and the second time in the 2010s.
Shakira received the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Award in 2011. She also received the Harvard Foundation Artist of the Year Award. She received these awards because of her philanthropic work with her organization ‘Barefoot Foundation’ and her contribution to music.
In 2011, she was also appointed to the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics in the United States of America.
The French Government appointed Shakira as the Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2012.
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