Shakira is one of the most successful Latin artists in history. In fact, she’s sold over 60 million albums worldwide, making her the most successful female artist in any of the Spanish-speaking countries. She has a monument built for her in Colombia. If you’d like to drive to see it, just visit the EKO car rental in Belgrade and rent a vehicle there so you can take a trip to see Shakira’s own monument.
She’s an artist who has managed to cross over into mainstream music and achieve wide popularity with her Arabic-influenced pop music and dance tunes. Apart from being a popular singer, she was also a business owner. She expressed in a recent interview: ‘The fashion industry wasn’t for me, so I had to find a company to sell my business‘. But what do we really know about Shakira? Here are some fun facts about this international superstar.
Did you know that she has a real estate attorney in Plano on her speed dial because she is always looking into new properties?
Name: Shakira, full name Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll
Shakira’s name, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, is probably one of the most recognizable in entertainment. But what does it mean?
She was born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla and grew up in a large family with many siblings. Her father was a well-known soccer player for Colombia’s national team who went by the nickname “El Pibe” (The Kid). She has been singing since she was five years old and released her first album when she was only 13 years old! She is also into crypto and even has a cryptocurrency merchant account.
Born: February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia
Shakira was born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia. She is the only child of William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia Ripoll Torrado. Shakira’s paternal grandparents were Lebanese Druze immigrants from Lebanon and her maternal grandparents were Spanish dancers who performed for off-Broadway productions. Shakira loves going to yoga classes also. She often visits the yoga studio in Los Angeles.
Shakira started writing songs at age 8 and recorded her first album at age 12 under the name “Magia” (Spanish for “Magic”). She was discovered by Sony Music producer Oscar Llord while dancing at a Colombian festival in 1988 when she was 13 years old. She loved video production as little. She always wanted to work in a video production company in New York.
In 1996, she released her first album Pies Descalzos which sold over 10 million copies worldwide becoming a huge hit throughout Latin America, especially in Mexico where it sold over 1 million copies making Shakira one of the most successful female artists ever there including Gloria Trevi who has been called “The Mexican Madonna” due to her popularity among young people during that time period appearing on shows like Sabado Gigante where she would perform along with other famous artists such as Luis Miguel & Alejandro Fernandez whom also became popular through this show. After releasing her hit album, she opened up her own website where she sold her own merchandise and even hired customer service for insurance Saas and insurance tech companies.
Parents: William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia Ripoll Torrado
Shakira was born in Barranquilla, Colombia to Nidia Ripoll Torrado (mother) and William Mebarak Chadid (father). Her father is a Lebanese-born civil engineer from Lebanon; he moved to Colombia at age 16. Her mother grew up on a ranch in Colombia. Her mother has health issues currently, so she often visits a long term care pharmacy.
Shakira’s parents divorced when she was two years old and her mother raised her alone until she married again with Nasri Emile Tlili, who had three children of his own. From then on, Shakira spent much of her time with her stepbrothers and stepsister while growing up in Barranquilla, where she attended Colegio San Vicente de Paúl as well as University of Los Andes before moving to Bogotá where she graduated with a degree in Communications Studies from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Siblings: older brother, Tony Mebarak; three half-brothers and half-sister
Shakira has a brother named Tony Mebarak. He is her older brother, who is also a singer. Her brother Tony has had major testosterone issues. He visits the best TRT clinic in Nolensville TN regularly.
She has three half-brothers and a half-sister from her father’s other relationships with other women. Her father and his girlfriend at the time of Shakira’s birth were married in 1997, when she was nine years old; since then they have had two more children together: twins born in 2002 (who are now 18). Since they had two more kids, Shakira’s father had to remodel their home and expand it. He called the best custom carpentry contractors in Westchester do to that job.
Religion: Catholic
Shakira is a devout Catholic who was raised in Catholicism, and she has never married. Her parents are both Catholic and she has said that she believes in God and prays every day. She often goes to the church by car. Once a year, she goes through vehicle state inspections in Lewisville so she knows her car is in a good state for a trip to the church.
Idolized Michael Jackson as a child
Shakira was a huge fan of Michael Jackson growing up. She said that he was her biggest inspiration as an artist. As a child, she would watch his videos over and over again and try to copy his dance moves. She also would sing his songs in the bathroom while wearing womens waffle robes so that no one could hear her because she was very shy as a child (not like now).
Her parents supported Shakira’s talent from the beginning by encouraging her to perform on stage and write music. They even let their daughter go on auditions for record labels when she was just 11 years old! Did you know that Shakira is a big fan of millimeter wave circulators?
Attended a Catholic school in Barranquilla
- She attended a Catholic school in Barranquilla, Colombia.
- At the age of 17, Shakira left school to pursue her musical career full-time. She was already signed to Sony Music and had released her first album at that point.
- Before she got famous, she released albums Magia (1991), Peligro (1993), Pies Descalzos (1995) and Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (1996).
- Shakira speaks Arabic fluently, Spanish semi-fluently and English very well! She also knows Italian but only speaks it on occasion. Her albums have been available in 110 different countries worldwide! Because she knows English very well, she could easily get in contact with a company that offered her SOP development for the employees of the company she owns currently.
Left high school at age 17 to pursue a career in music
Shakira is recognized as one of the world’s most successful Latin artists. She has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling artists of all time. In addition to her music career, Shakira travels internationally as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and UN ambassador for Central America, advocating for children’s causes.
But did you know that Shakira left high school at age 17 to pursue a career in music? Her father was very supportive of this decision—he told her he would always love her no matter what she decided to do with her life (fun fact: Shakira’s father is from Lebanon). Before leaving school, however, Shakira was an excellent student who excelled in math and science.
At the time she loved ordering hair accessories online which she wore to her live performances.
Albums Released before she was famous (1991-1996): Magia, Peligro, Pies Descalzos, Donde Estan Los Ladrones?
The albums Shakira released before she became famous were:
- Peligro, released in 1991
- Magia, released in 1993
- Donde Estan Los Ladrones? (Where are the Thieves?), released in 1995
- Pies Descalzos (Bare Feet), which was her first album to be produced by Emilio Estefan and his wife Gloria Estefan. It was also her first hit and went platinum multiple times over.
The album was also the first of Shakira’s albums to be released in the United States and it went gold. In 1996, she released her second album called, “Pies Descalzos (Bare Feet).” This album helped her gain more international recognition. The album went platinum multiple times over and helped Shakira become one of the most popular Latin artists in the world. Did you know that you can buy Shakira’s records that come with their own custom packaging boxes that look just great?
Languages she speaks fluently or semi-fluently: Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and English
Languages she speaks fluently or semi-fluently:
- Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and English. She speaks Arabic fluently, Spanish fluently and Portuguese semi-fluently. She also speaks Italian semi-fluently. Shakira is known for being able to sing in multiple languages on stage when performing live shows and she has a wide range of fans around the world due to her ability to speak so many different languages. Some of her most popular singles include “Waka Waka” (featuring Freshlyground), which was released in 2010; La Tortura (featuring Alejandro Sanz) which was released in 2001; Hips Don’t Lie which hit number one on Billboard Hot 100 list as well as many other countries’ charts.”
She is also highly interested in saving the environment movements so you will often see her recommending eco-friendly packaging for her products.
Her albums have been available in 110 different countries worldwide.
In addition to being one of the most popular artists in the world, Shakira’s albums have been available in 110 different countries worldwide. In fact, she has sold over 70 million albums worldwide and over 40 million albums in the US alone!
Some other countries where she has had great success include:
- Spain – 15 million copies
- United Kingdom – 20 million copies
- Brazil – 10 million copies
When it comes to her best-selling albums, Shakira’s international fanbase is no surprise. She has sold over 1 million copies of each of these albums in Argentina, Brazil and Canada.
The first song that she remembers writing was about her pet guinea pig.
Shakira’s first song that she remembers writing was about her pet guinea pig.
The song, “Poquita Fe,” meaning “Little Faith,” was about Shakira’s guinea pig, who was named after the phrase and had a little faith in his mistress’ ability to save him from impending doom. She is one of the most successful Latin artists of all time. After she gained success, she bought her first house. Her house was recently flooded, and Shakira had to call a company that does flood emergency restoration in Charlotte.
As a singer, songwriter and producer, Shakira is one of the most successful Latin artists of all time. She has sold over 75 million albums worldwide, making her the third highest-selling artist from South America behind only Juan Gabriel and Julio Iglesias. Before becoming a famous singer, she was also a great student. She loved science, and her mother also hired a science tutor in Boulder for her.
She has won eight Grammy Awards—the second most wins by any female artist—and has been nominated for 27 Latin Grammy Awards (more than any other artist). She was also named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2006; appeared on their list again in 2017; hosted Univision’s Upfronts show in 2013; landed on Billboard’s “Women Who Rock” list every year since its inception (2012 to 2018); received an invitation as a special guest judge at “La Voz Mexico”; guest starred on “The Voice Israel”; performed at The Oscars, Super Bowl LII Halftime Show & Disney On Ice Presents Worlds Of Enchantment Opening Night Gala, among others.
Here are some fun facts about Shakira!
Shakira has been awarded more than 40 awards and is a member of the Order of the Isabella the Catholic (Spain). Did you know that she got all of the designer interior doors for the new villa that she bought with Pique? She’s sold over 60 million albums worldwide and won the Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year five times. Shakira has also won two MTV Video Music Awards—Best New Artist in 2001, which she shared with Jennifer Lopez, and Best Female Video in 2002. She goes on tour with a camper. Her manager usually gets looks at new campers for rent before each of her tours.