Shakira

Name: Shakira
Date of Birth: February 02, 1977
Place of Birth: Not available

Mini-bio: Not available

Post it anywhere	Link it anywhere
<div style="font-size:11px; text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/actor/shakira"> <img src="http://content8.flixster.com/photo/12/51/54/12515402_tml.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Shakira" /></a><br/><a href="http://www.flixster.com/actor/shakira">Shakira</a></div>	<a href="http://www.flixster.com/actor/shakira">Shakira</a>

report missing or incorrect data

Shakira Wiki Profile

EasyEdit tools are temporarily disabled for maintenance.

Shakira

"My brain, I believe, is the most beautiful part of my body." - Shakira

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll Biography

Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira’s first steps in her creative life were developed at a very early age. As a child, she would write short notes to her father, who encouraged her to keep logging her thoughts and emotions and was unintentionally fostering her ability to write song lyrics. But writing wasn’t her only developing skill. By the time she was seven, Shakira displayed an impressive dancing ability when she joined a group of belly dancers at a Middle Eastern restaurant. She showed she could emulate their moves, much to the delight of everyone in the restaurant and she continued delivering impromptu performances for anyone who would stop long enough to watch her. It’s a talent she has clearly continued to put to good use throughout her career though it hardly begins to describe her fluid, sexy dancing ability and the impact it has had on pop culture.

She also began singing and, from the start, displayed a unique voice that stood out among her peers. Because of her already developed strong vibrato, she could only sing the solos in school because her voice overpowered her class mates. Some of her school pals would laugh at her singing and called her sound “animal-like.” But Shakira was undeterred by the criticism. Early on she decided to embrace her individuality and cultivate her unique voice and dance moves. In a twist that seems like something out of a made-for-TV movie, a local theater producer whom Shakira had befriended met a Sony Music executive on a flight and convinced him to audition Shakira in a motel lobby. He liked what he heard, but his Sony colleagues in Bogotá felt her voice was too unusual.

In a sneaky, yet clever move, the label executive arranged an in-person audition for Shakira, but told his record company staffers they were seeing someone else since they had only heard Shakira and never met her. Her talent won over any doubters and the label signed her to a three-album deal. But she was hardly an overnight sensation. Her first album, “Magia," recorded when she was only 14 in 1991, failed to find an audience. She returned to the studio to record “Peligro", which came out in 1993 and although the album began to build an audience for her, she felt distant from the songs, feeling the project was more a reflection of her producer’s taste than her own.

Although she was barely known outside of Colombia, Shakira was invited to appear at Chile's Viña del Mar International Song Festival in February 1993. The Festival featured aspiring Latin American singers performing in front of a huge audience and such well-known judges as soon-to-be fellow Latin superstar Ricky Martin. Shakira’s emotional performance of powerful ballad “Eres" (You Are) landed her in third place and began to build her profile outside of Colombia. After taking time to finish high school, Shakira returned to the studio to make her third album, which reflected her various eclectic influences.

The 1995 “Pies Descalzos” album brought her great popularity in Latin America bolstered by the hit singles "Estoy Aquí," "Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos" and "Dónde Estás Corazón." The album sold more than 4 million copies and prompted the release of a remix album, which sold another 500,000 copies. Shakira then turned to renowned producer Emilio Estefan, also known as Gloria Estefan’s husband, to executive produce her fourth album, 1998’s “¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones?.” The album drew the attention of not only her loyal and ever-expanding Latin American audience, but Shakira gained fans in non-Spanish-speaking countries like France, Switzerland, Canada and especially the United States. An impressive eight of the album's 11 tracks were singles, including "Ciega, Sordomuda," "Moscas En La Casa," "No Creo," "Inevitable," "Tú," "Si Te Vas," "Octavo Día" and fan favorite "Ojos Así.” To solidify further Shakira’s growing popularity in America, she performed on MTV’s first Spanish-language edition of “MTV Unplugged.” The subsequent album release of the concert program earned Shakira her first Grammy Award. She was later named favorite international artist at the August 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.

At the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards ceremony that same year, Shakira delivered a much-discussed, show-stopping performance of "Ojos Así" and took home Unplugged-related trophies for Best Female Pop Vocal ("Ojos Así") and Best Female Rock Vocal ("Octavo Dia"). After laying down tremendous groundwork in the English-speaking market and being welcomed with open arms, Shakira knew now was the time to reach out to a broader audience. She and Gloria Estefan created English versions of many of the tunes from “Dónde,” but Shakira decided instead to learn English and write the new album herself. As always, eager to continue to explore her roots, she included new Spanish songs. “Laundry Service” contained the mega-smashes “Whenever, Wherever” and ballad “Underneath Your Clothes.” By airing her musical “Laundry” before her adoring public, Shakira went from a Latin American superstar to a global superstar loved by people all over the world. The 2001 album went on to sell more than 13 million albums.

Not surprisingly, by 2002 Shakira had plenty of material for a Spanish greatest hits set. The year was also memorable for her continued mutual admiration society with MTV. She won another MTV Award, as well as five MTV Latin America Video Music Awards. She followed the greatest hits with 2004’s “Live and Off the Record,” a DVD of her Tour of the Mongoose. But even greater things lay ahead as Shakira continued to challenge herself artistically. In an innovative move, Shakira decided to issue a new project, two albums --one in Spanish and one in English—a few months apart. She wrote 60 songs and then divvied them up for the two projects. Her instincts, once again, proved right on target. “Fijación Oral Vol. 1” came out in June 2005 and landed at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., making it the highest debut ever for a Spanish language album in the SoundScan era. It topped the Billboard Latin Album chart upon release, as well as charts in nine other countries. Lead single, "La Tortura," which featured Spanish superstar Alejandro Sanz, shot to #1 on the Hot Latin Tracks Billboard chart where it stayed for a staggering, record-setting 25 weeks.

The video for “La Tortura” was the first Spanish-language video added into regular rotation at MTV and VH1. The album was also an instant sensation closer to home, selling out across South America. It was certified platinum based on first-day sales in Venezuela and triple platinum in her native Colombia. Three days after its release, it had already sold a remarkable one million copies. It has since gone onto sell close to four million units. The English version, “Oral Fixation Vol. 2,” came out in November 2005. Like its predecessor, it set a few records of its own. The single “Hips Don’t Lie,” featuring Wyclef Jean, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the most played song in the history of pop radio as her fans could not get enough of the sexy tune. The trip to the top made Shakira the only Colombian artist to land at No. 1. In another sign of Shakira’s now- realized status as both a Spanish and Anglo superstar, “Hips Don’t Lie” landed at #1 on Billboard’s Top 40 Mainstream chart and No. #1 on the Latin song chart in the same week, marking the first time a song hit the top of both charts simultaneously. The song was also a digital phenomenon, selling a record-breaking 266,500 downloads in its first week. It hit the million downloads mark faster than any other tune and, to date, has been downloaded more than 1.5 million times. “Hips Don’t Lie” also proved to be an extremely popular ringtone worldwide. “Fijacion Oral Vol. 1” proved as popular with critics as with fans: in February 2006, Shakira won the Grammy for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album. The album also captured a slew of Latin Grammys, including album of the year. In April 2006, Shakira also received six Billboard Latin Music Awards for the album. Last year, she was additionally honored with the Spirit of Hope Award for her 12-year-old Fundación Pies Descalzos (Bare Feet Foundation), which aids child victims of violence in Colombia by providing education, emotional, nutritional, psychological and medical support. The English version also captured its share of accolades. “Hips Don’t Lie” snared a Grammy nomination for best pop collaboration with vocals in 2007. She was the most nominated artist for the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, taking home the statue for best choreography.

“Oral Fixation” has sold more than 8 million copies. With both the English and Spanish versions whetting her fans’ appetites around the world for the real thing, the Colombian star took to the road on her biggest world tour yet in June 2006. The 140-date outing touched fans in North America, Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America and sold out 98% of the shows, including concerts at New York’s prestigious Madison Square Garden, Miami’s American Airlines Arena and Los Angeles’ Staples Center. Shakira once again made history when she performed in front of more than 200,000 fans at Mexico City’s Plaza del Zocalo, the largest crowd in Mexican history. She also played in front of the pyramids in Egypt and for the first time in Dubai. Shakira proved equally popular with her fellow superstars as with her fans. She became the go-to girl they sought out to sing with. Shakira duetted with Alejandro Sanz on “Te lo Agradezco, Pero No.” In 2007, she teamed with Beyonce for their international hit “Beautiful Liar” from the deluxe edition of Beyonce’s “B’Day” album. In addition to topping the chart in 12 territories, the song set the record for the largest jump ever on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. by soaring 91 positions from No. 94 to No. 3 in one week. It also debuted at No. 1 on both the Hot Digital Tracks and Hot Digital Songs charts. Shakira also appeared on Miguel Bose’s “Si Tu No Vuelves,” from his career-spanning collection “Papito.”

Vital Stats

Shakira Information:

Eye color:Brown

Height:5'2

Name:Shakira means in Hindi, Goddess Of Light and in Arabic, Woman Full Of Grace.

Notable feature(s):

Education:

Family:Father: William Mebarak (jewler, clock salesman)
Mother: Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado
Sisters: Lucy (neurosurgeon), Robin and Patricia
Brothers: Tonino (road manager), Alberto (lawyer), Moises and Edward

Resides in:

Religious affilation:Roman Catholic

Political affiliation:

Personal interests/hobbies:

Charities/Causes:

ALAS
Global Campaign for Education
Live Earth
ONE Campaign
Pies Descalzos
Treatment Action Campaign
UNICEF

Launch of Hard Rock International’s Shakira Artist Spotlight T-Shirt and Bracelet. This limited-edition merchandise will benefit Shakira’s Fundación Pies Descalzos, an organization devoted to finding and providing opportunities for children who are victims of violence in Colombia.

“I’m proud and excited to continue my partnership with Hard Rock International through the Artist Spotlight program,” said Shakira. “With the launch of the Shakira Artist Spotlight T-Shirt, I hope to increase international awareness and support for the Fundación Pies Descalzos, an organization that is extremely close to my heart.”

Hard Rock’s Shakira Artist Spotlight T-Shirt and Bracelet will be sold online at www.hardrock.com, as well as at select Hard Rock properties worldwide.

Designed by Shakira, the limited-edition T-Shirt features two angels sitting on an amplifier with a pink guitar in between them and set on the background of a large purple heart. The city-specific design is set on a black T-Shirt and is available exclusively in women’s sizes (S-XL). 15% of the retail price will benefit Fundación Pies Descalzos. ($26)

Shakira's Artist Spotlight Bracelet was inspired by Shakira and features Chakira beads with custom clasps. All of the proceeds from the Artist Spotlight bracelet will benefit Fundación Pies Descalzos

Shakira was presented with an award from the International Labour Organization for her work in support of social justice. She finished her acceptance speech by quoting some wise words from Gandhi which have become her personal motto: "Be the change that you want to see in the world."

Other:She loves to eat corozos, a little Colombian fruit that is sweet-sour.

Trivia
In July 2008 Shakira signed a prestigious $70 million contract with Live Nation including recording, touring, merchandising, and other rights. In 2006 a 4.5m (14' 8") tall and five-ton (10,000 pounds) heavy giant metal statue of Shakira has been put up on the central square of her hometown Barranquilla, Colombia. Shakira participated in a poetic social mission Moving Stars and Earth for Water, reading a poem by novelist Yann Martel, along with 14 other artists, for the organization onedrop.org, which raises awareness for preserving water in the world. A limited edition version of Shakira's new album She Wolf will be released in US in November 2009 containing bonus content. In 2008 Shakira donated items for an auction to support her Bare Feet Foundation. A bra she once wore was bought for $3000, while front-row seats for one of her performances went for $14,000. Shakira created the Bare Feet Foundation. The charity has been building a school for under-privileged children in Colombia. In the summer of 2007, Shakira attended UCLA to study the History of Western Civilization. Shakira and Beyonce are collaborating on a song called Beautiful Liar. The song has appeared on a special-edition reissue of Beyonce's solo album, B'Day. On April 7, 2007 Beautiful Liar made the third biggest ever single-week upward movement in Billboard Hot 100 chart from position 94 to position 3. Shakira is the youngest of eight siblings. She was considered as one by LA Times as one of the most sucessful and charismatic people on the planet. Together with Red Hot Chili Peppers Shakira was the most nominated artist for the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards and both received seven nominations, but she won only the prize for best choreography. Alejandro Sanz and Shakira became the first Latin duet to performed live at the MTV Awards Ceremony in Miami. Shakira's car accidentally crash over a fan and a security guard after a concert in Texas. In 1995, she released her third studio album, Pies Descalzos, which brought her great fame in Latin America. After the release of her album Peligro, she decided to take a hiatus from recording so that she could graduate from high school. Her first album Magia did not fare well commercially as less than one thousand copies were sold. On April 3, 2006, Shakira was honored at an United Nations ceremony because she created the Pies Descalzos Foundation, a charity that helps to protect children from violence in Colombia. In June 2006, Shakira started her biggest tour ever, called the Oral Fixation Tour, which will lasted until the summer of 2007. In 2006, two well-known artists in Latin America claimed that Shakira had breached their works, but both claims were proven wrong and resolved in her favor. The best known was Puerto Rican Salsa Singer Jerry Rivera. Shakira's Hips Don't Lie used portions of the melody from the song Amores Como El Nuestro, a top Salsa hit in the early 90's. But apparently Jerry Rivera failed to realize that Sony Discos had already given permission and in fact the credits of the published track read Contains Excerpts from the composition "Amores Como El Nuestro" performed by Jerry Rivera, courtesy of Sony Discos. In 2002, emails were circulating about a supposed interview of MTV Europe where she said that Israelis and Jews were "pigs". This has never been confirmed. Her tour around Latin America began on August 1st 2006 in Mexico City, and officially started on September 30th 2006. She has said that the tour is one of the most important in her career. Her rendition of the Flores song Amor has become a collectors' item because of its rarity. Shakira was the mystery singer on Al Compás de un Sentimiento, a television special produced by the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico in 1996 which featured the music of Puerto Rican composer Pedro Flores. She was once concerned about the size of her breasts, but finally decided against having plastic surgery, insisting that she is happy being natural. She does not think of herself as a feminist, just that she is a strong woman with masculine qualities. She denies rumors that she and Robbie Williams have been sharing nights of passion in LA, insisting that they are just friends and that she is happily in love with her Argentinean fiance of four years, Antonio De La Rua. She fired her beauty staff after deciding she had become too obsessed with her appearance. She is to become the first pop star to release a single only as a mobile-phone download. She attended La Enseñanza School in Barranquilla. She announced engagement to Antonio de la Rua, son of the present President of Argentina on March 2001. She based the song Gafas Oscuras on her father's glasses. She had to postpone her concert at Quisqueya Stadium in Santo Domingo of the Dominican Republic due to throat infection in March 2003. She was listed in Mr. Blackwell's 46th annual "Worst Dressed" list. She made an emergency helicopter landing at a baseball diamond in the Dominican Republic in August 2002 because of bad weather. She made a donation of 10,000 pairs of tennis shoes to her hometown of Barranquilla to impoverished children through her Barefoot Foundation in 2002. She was attacked by a lunatic man in Australia with a bag of cement, in May 2006. Shakira is two times Grammy winner and seven times Latin Grammy Awards winner. She won a singing competition for a children's show called "Vinan Los Niños." Shakira's song Hips Don't Lie, her collaberation with Wyclef Jean, has become the most played song in America, being played 9,657 times on the radio. Her song beat Gwen Stefani's hit Hollaback Girl. Her song 'Ojos asi' has a verse in Arabic. Shakira's career received a boost when she was named Latin Female Artist of the Year, at the 1998 World Music Awards. At the 2000 Latin Grammy, two of her songs received awards and further boosted her popularity in the US. Shakira blends American style pop-rock with traditional Latin rhythms, creating her own unique sound and forging new ground in the growing Latin music market in the US. She says, "I was born and raised in Colombia, but I listened to bands like Led Zeppelin, The Cure, The Police, The Beatles and Nirvana." Shakira wrote her first song at eight years old. Shakira's MTV Unplugged was on the Billboard Chart 60 weeks. Son by Four was on the Chart for 62 weeks, being the only group or artist beating Shakira. She is a trained physiatrist and astronomist. She plays the guitar and the mouth organ. In 1994 at the age of seventeen Shakira had an acting gig on the novel El Oasis. She played Luisa María in the Colombian soap opera. Shakira is currently the 2nd longest running artist or group on Billboard's latin 50 chart. Her first album was released when she was just 13 years old, titled Magia. She recently announced her Oral Fixation Tour, will begin on August 9, 2006 in El Paso, Texas at the Don Haskins Center. Shakira states that both she and Wyclef Jean dream about each other, and as soon as they contacted each other they began making the video for Hips Don't Lie. Shakira's single, Hips Don't Lie is a duet with singer, Wyclef Jean. Oral Fixation Vol. 2 is Shakira's first album being sung totally in english. Shakira won six prizes on Billboard Latin Music Awards among prizes were Female Latin Pop Album of the Year, Hot Latin Song of the Year among other four more. She released an album with two volumes, the first one being Fijacion Oral Vol. 1 in Spanish, and Oral Fixation Vol. 2 in English. Her cousin is fashion designer and Miss Colombia 2006, Valerie Dominguez Tarud. She lists John Lennon as her #1 musical influence. Her English language album Oral Fixation 2 was released in November 2005. Her album Fijacion Oral Vol.1 was #1 on the Billboard Latin Albums Chart in September 2005. Mattel put out several Barbie dolls inspired by Shakira and her look. She lost her suitcase with all her songs from ¿Donde Estan Los Ladrones? in an airport in Bogota Colombia. This happened a couple of months before she walked into the recording studio to begin on that album. The first English song she wrote was Objection, from the album Laundry Service. Her oldest half-sister Lucy is a surgeon, Alberto, her half-brother, is a lawyer, Moises is the third 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. Steven Spielberg offered her the role of Elena Montero in The Mask of Zorro back when he was originally in talks to direct it. But, she turned the offer down because she felt that not only was she a bad actress, but her English wasn't good enough. She has 5 half brothers Alberto, Edward, Moises, Tonino and Robin and 3 half sisters Ana, Lucy and Patricia. Her mother is half Colombian and half Italian and her father is American with Lebanese ancestry. Her father's name is William Mebarak Chadid and mother's name is Nidia del Carmen Ripolli Torrado. She named her album Laundry Service because she loves to feel "clean and fresh." She announced engagement to Antonio de la Rua, son of the present President of Argentina in March 2001. Her first english album was called Laundry Service. Shakira's song, La Tortura is in the fifth position of the best 10 songs of the world. Her nickname is Shaki. Her Lebanese grandmother taught her the art of Arabian Belly Dancing so she can stay true to her middle eastern roots. Shakira reportedly has an IQ of 140. She has perfect pitch, which is the ability to recognize any note upon hearing it or sing any note without prior to hearing it. Shakira is fluent in Arabic, English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and French. She has sung in each of these languages. The name Shakira is Arabic for "grateful or full of grace." Shakira is of Colombian and Lebanese heritage. When Shakira was two years old, her oldest half-brother died in an accident while he was riding a motorcycle and was struck by a car driven by a drunk driver. Her manager for Latin America, Patricia Tellez, the woman who helped her go from being local artist to Grammy Winning global artist, died of a heart attack in Bogota on 17 August 2004. Her first UK released singles from the album Laundry Service, which sold 13 million copies worldwide and was Shakira's most selling album, include: Whenever Wherever, Underneath Your Clothes and Objection.

Trivia

In July 2008 Shakira signed a prestigious $70 million contract with Live Nation including recording, touring, merchandising, and other rights.

In 2006 a 4.5m (14' 8") tall and five-ton (10,000 pounds) heavy giant metal statue of Shakira has been put up on the central square of her hometown Barranquilla, Colombia.

Shakira participated in a poetic social mission Moving Stars and Earth for Water, reading a poem by novelist Yann Martel, along with 14 other artists, for the organization onedrop.org, which raises awareness for preserving water in the world.

A limited edition version of Shakira's new album She Wolf will be released in US in November 2009 containing bonus content.

In 2008 Shakira donated items for an auction to support her Bare Feet Foundation. A bra she once wore was bought for $3000, while front-row seats for one of her performances went for $14,000.

Shakira created the Bare Feet Foundation. The charity has been building a school for under-privileged children in Colombia.

In the summer of 2007, Shakira attended UCLA to study the History of Western Civilization.

Shakira and Beyonce are collaborating on a song called Beautiful Liar. The song has appeared on a special-edition reissue of Beyonce's solo album, B'Day. On April 7, 2007 Beautiful Liar made the third biggest ever single-week upward movement in Billboard Hot 100 chart from position 94 to position 3.

Shakira is the youngest of eight siblings.

She was considered as one by LA Times as one of the most sucessful and charismatic people on the planet.

Together with Red Hot Chili Peppers Shakira was the most nominated artist for the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards and both received seven nominations, but she won only the prize for best choreography.

Alejandro Sanz and Shakira became the first Latin duet to performed live at the MTV Awards Ceremony in Miami.

Shakira's car accidentally crash over a fan and a security guard after a concert in Texas.

In 1995, she released her third studio album, Pies Descalzos, which brought her great fame in Latin America.

After the release of her album Peligro, she decided to take a hiatus from recording so that she could graduate from high school.

Her first album Magia did not fare well commercially as less than one thousand copies were sold.

On April 3, 2006, Shakira was honored at an United Nations ceremony because she created the Pies Descalzos Foundation, a charity that helps to protect children from violence in Colombia.

In June 2006, Shakira started her biggest tour ever, called the Oral Fixation
Tour, which will lasted until the summer of 2007.

In 2006, two well-known artists in Latin America claimed that Shakira had breached their works, but both claims were proven wrong and resolved in her favor. The best known was Puerto Rican Salsa Singer Jerry Rivera.

Shakira's Hips Don't Lie used portions of the melody from the song Amores Como El Nuestro, a top Salsa hit in the early 90's. But apparently Jerry Rivera failed to realize that Sony Discos had already given permission and in fact the credits of the published track read Contains Excerpts from the composition "Amores Como El Nuestro" performed by Jerry Rivera, courtesy of Sony Discos.

In 2002, emails were circulating about a supposed interview of MTV Europe where she said that Israelis and Jews were "pigs". This has never been confirmed.

Her tour around Latin America began on August 1st 2006 in Mexico City, and officially started on September 30th 2006. She has said that the tour is one of the most important in her career.

Her rendition of the Flores song Amor has become a collectors' item because of its rarity.

Shakira was the mystery singer on Al Compás de un Sentimiento, a television special produced by the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico in 1996 which featured the music of Puerto Rican composer Pedro Flores.

She was once concerned about the size of her breasts, but finally decided against having plastic surgery, insisting that she is happy being natural.

She does not think of herself as a feminist, just that she is a strong woman with masculine qualities.

She denies rumors that she and Robbie Williams have been sharing nights of passion in LA, insisting that they are just friends and that she is happily in love with her Argentinean fiance of four years, Antonio De La Rua.

She fired her beauty staff after deciding she had become too obsessed with her appearance.

She is to become the first pop star to release a single only as a mobile-phone download.

She attended La Enseñanza School in Barranquilla.

She announced engagement to Antonio de la Rua, son of the present President of Argentina on March 2001.

She based the song Gafas Oscuras on her father's glasses.

She had to postpone her concert at Quisqueya Stadium in Santo Domingo of the Dominican Republic due to throat infection in March 2003.

She was listed in Mr. Blackwell's 46th annual "Worst Dressed" list.

She made an emergency helicopter landing at a baseball diamond in the

Dominican Republic in August 2002 because of bad weather.

She made a donation of 10,000 pairs of tennis shoes to her hometown of Barranquilla to impoverished children through her Barefoot Foundation in 2002.

She was attacked by a lunatic man in Australia with a bag of cement, in May 2006.

Shakira is two times Grammy winner and seven times Latin Grammy Awards winner.

She won a singing competition for a children's show called "Vinan Los Niños."

Shakira's song Hips Don't Lie, her collaberation with Wyclef Jean, has become the most played song in America, being played 9,657 times on the radio. Her song beat Gwen Stefani's hit Hollaback Girl.

Her song 'Ojos asi' has a verse in Arabic.

Shakira's career received a boost when she was named Latin Female Artist of the Year, at the 1998 World Music Awards. At the 2000 Latin Grammy, two of her songs received awards and further boosted her popularity in the US.

Shakira blends American style pop-rock with traditional Latin rhythms, creating her own unique sound and forging new ground in the growing Latin music market in the US. She says, "I was born and raised in Colombia, but I listened to bands like Led Zeppelin, The Cure, The Police, The Beatles and Nirvana."

Shakira wrote her first song at eight years old.

Shakira's MTV Unplugged was on the Billboard Chart 60 weeks. Son by Four was on the Chart for 62 weeks, being the only group or artist beating
Shakira.

She is a trained physiatrist and astronomist.

She plays the guitar and the mouth organ.

In 1994 at the age of seventeen Shakira had an acting gig on the novel El Oasis. She played Luisa María in the Colombian soap opera.

Shakira is currently the 2nd longest running artist or group on Billboard's latin 50 chart.

Her first album was released when she was just 13 years old, titled Magia.

She recently announced her Oral Fixation Tour, will begin on August 9, 2006 in El Paso, Texas at the Don Haskins Center.

Shakira states that both she and Wyclef Jean dream about each other, and as soon as they contacted each other they began making the video for Hips Don't Lie.

Shakira's single, Hips Don't Lie is a duet with singer, Wyclef Jean.

Oral Fixation Vol. 2 is Shakira's first album being sung totally in english.

Shakira won six prizes on Billboard Latin Music Awards among prizes were Female Latin Pop Album of the Year, Hot Latin Song of the Year among other four more.

She released an album with two volumes, the first one being Fijacion Oral Vol. 1 in Spanish, and Oral Fixation Vol. 2 in English.

Her cousin is fashion designer and Miss Colombia 2006, Valerie Dominguez Tarud.

She lists John Lennon as her #1 musical influence.

Her English language album Oral Fixation 2 was released in November 2005.

Her album Fijacion Oral Vol.1 was #1 on the Billboard Latin Albums Chart in September 2005.

Mattel put out several Barbie dolls inspired by Shakira and her look.

She lost her suitcase with all her songs from ¿Donde Estan Los Ladrones? in an airport in Bogota Colombia. This happened a couple of months before she walked into the recording studio to begin on that album.

The first English song she wrote was Objection, from the album Laundry Service.

Her oldest half-sister Lucy is a surgeon, Alberto, her half-brother, is a lawyer, Moises is the third 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.

Steven Spielberg offered her the role of Elena Montero in The Mask of Zorro back when he was originally in talks to direct it. But, she turned the offer down because she felt that not only was she a bad actress, but her English wasn't good enough.

She has 5 half brothers Alberto, Edward, Moises, Tonino and Robin and 3 half sisters Ana, Lucy and Patricia.

Her mother is half Colombian and half Italian and her father is American with Lebanese ancestry.

Her father's name is William Mebarak Chadid and mother's name is Nidia del Carmen Ripolli Torrado.

She named her album Laundry Service because she loves to feel "clean and fresh."

She announced engagement to Antonio de la Rua, son of the present President of Argentina in March 2001.

Her first english album was called Laundry Service.

Shakira's song, La Tortura is in the fifth position of the best 10 songs of the world.

Her nickname is Shaki.

Her Lebanese grandmother taught her the art of Arabian Belly Dancing so she can stay true to her middle eastern roots.

Shakira reportedly has an IQ of 140.

She has perfect pitch, which is the ability to recognize any note upon hearing it or sing any note without prior to hearing it.
Shakira is fluent in Arabic, English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and French. She has sung in each of these languages.

The name Shakira is Arabic for "grateful or full of grace."

Shakira is of Colombian and Lebanese heritage.

When Shakira was two years old, her oldest half-brother died in an accident while he was riding a motorcycle and was struck by a car driven by a drunk driver.

Her manager for Latin America, Patricia Tellez, the woman who helped her go from being local artist to Grammy Winning global artist, died of a heart attack in Bogota on 17 August 2004.

Her first UK released singles from the album Laundry Service, which sold 13 million copies worldwide and was Shakira's most selling album, include: Whenever Wherever, Underneath Your Clothes and Objection.

Shakira's List Of Apperances/Rankings/Titles
2010 -- No.38, AskMen.com's Top 99 Women 2009 -- No.42, Spinner.com's Best Songs of the 2000s 2009 -- No.24, Spinner.com's Artists of the 2000s 2008 -- No.38, AskMen.com's Top 99 Women 2007 -- No.38, Maxim Magazine's Hot 100 2007 -- People Magazine's annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World 2007 -- No.7, AskMen.com's Top 99 Women 2006 -- No.60, Maxim Magazine's Hot 100 2006 -- No.20, FHM Magazine's 100 sexiest women 2006 -- Appeared in the ending of the Germany FIFA World Cup 2005 -- No.76, FHM Magazine's 100 sexiest women 2003 -- Received the title for goodwill ambassador of UNICEF; She was the youngest to receive this title 2003 -- No.37, AskMen.com's Top 99 Women 2002 -- No.9, Stuff Magazine's 102 sexiest women 2002 -- No.88, AskMen.com's Top 99 Women

Shakira's List Of Apperances/Rankings/Titles

2010 -- No.38, AskMen.com's Top 99 Women
2009 -- No.42, Spinner.com's Best Songs of the 2000s
2009 -- No.24, Spinner.com's Artists of the 2000s
2008 -- No.38, AskMen.com's Top 99 Women
2007 -- No.38, Maxim Magazine's Hot 100
2007 -- People Magazine's annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World
2007 -- No.7, AskMen.com's Top 99 Women
2006 -- No.60, Maxim Magazine's Hot 100
2006 -- No.20, FHM Magazine's 100 sexiest women
2006 -- Appeared in the ending of the Germany FIFA World Cup
2005 -- No.76, FHM Magazine's 100 sexiest women
2003 -- Received the title for goodwill ambassador of UNICEF; She was the youngest to receive this title
2003 -- No.37, AskMen.com's Top 99 Women
2002 -- No.9, Stuff Magazine's 102 sexiest women
2002 -- No.88, AskMen.com's Top 99 Women