Shakira

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( shə-KEER-ə, Spanish: [ʃaˈkiɾa isaˈβel meβaˈɾak riˈpol]; born 2 February 1977), known mononymously as Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the “Queen of Latin Music” and has been praised for her musical versatility. She made her recording debut with Sony Music Colombia at the age of 13. Following the commercial failure of her first two albums, Magia (1991) and Peligro (1993), she rose to prominence in Hispanic countries with her next albums, Pies Descalzos (1995) and Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998). She entered the English-language market with her fifth album, Laundry Service (2001), which sold over 13 million copies worldwide. Buoyed by the international success of her singles “Whenever, Wherever” and “Underneath Your Clothes”, the album propelled her reputation as a leading crossover artist. Broadcast Music, Inc., described Shakira as a “pioneer” who extended the global reach of Latino singers. In 2022, MTV included her in the list of “The Most Influential Women in the History of Music”, being the only Latina on the list.Her success was further solidified with the Spanish albums Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005), Sale el Sol (2010), and El Dorado (2017), all of which topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and were certified diamond (Latin) by the Recording Industry Association of America. Meanwhile, her English albums Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), She Wolf (2009), and Shakira (2014) were all certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum in various countries worldwide. Some of her songs have charted at number one in multiple countries, including “Inevitable”, “Whenever, Wherever”, “La Tortura”, “Hips Don’t Lie”, “Beautiful Liar”, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”, “Loca”, “Rabiosa”, “Can’t Remember to Forget You”, “Dare (La La La)”, “Chantaje”, “Me Gusta”, “Te Felicito”, “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”, and “TQG”. She served as a coach on two seasons of the American singing competition television series The Voice (2013–2014).

One of the most influential female artists of the 21st century, Shakira is credited with opening the doors of the international market for other Latin artists. With a catalog of 145 songs, Shakira has sold over 95 million records, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Billboard reported that as of 2023, she is the best-selling female Latin artist of all time. Noted to be a “global phenom” whose impact has “reached every corner of the world”, Shakira has been described as an “artistic link between the west and the east” for popularizing Middle Eastern sounds in the West, and western sounds in the East (mainly the Middle East). Due to her heritage as a Colombian of Lebanese descent, she is perceived as particularly influential for Latino and Middle-Eastern musicians, and has been noted for introducing musical genres, instruments, and techniques from across Latin America, the Middle East, and other regions to a wider audience. Shakira is also credited with popularising music in the Spanish language on a global level.She has received numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards, fourteen Latin Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards (including the 2023 Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award), seven Billboard Music Awards, thirty-nine Billboard Latin Music Awards, twenty-one Guinness World Records, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was named the Top Female Latin Artist of the Decade by Billboard twice (2000s and 2010s). For her philanthropic work with her Barefoot Foundation and her contributions to music she received the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year and Harvard Foundation Artist of the Year awards in 2011. She was appointed to the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics in the United States in 2011, and Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2012.

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