Shakira(Part 1)

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25 Feb 2024

Shakira

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, known mononymously as Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla. Regarded as the Queen of Latin Music, she is celebrated for her musical versatility. Shakira initiated her recording career at the age of 13 with Sony Music Colombia.

Despite the initial commercial setbacks of her first two albums, Magia and Peligro , she gained prominence in Hispanic countries with subsequent releases like Pies Descalzos and Dónde Están los Ladrones.

Her foray into the English-language market began with Laundry Service 2001, marked by the global success of singles Whenever, Wherever and Underneath Your Clothes. This propelled her into the international spotlight, and Broadcast Music, Inc. hailed her as a "pioneer" expanding the global reach of Latino singers. In 2022, MTV recognized her as one of The Most Influential Women in the History of Music, making her the sole Latina on the list.

Shakira's success continued with Spanish albums like Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 2005, Sale el Sol 2010, and El Dorado 2017, all topping the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. Her English albums, including Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 , She Wolf 2009, and Shakira 2014, achieved gold, platinum, or multi-platinum certifications globally.

With chart-toppers such as "Hips Don't Lie, Waka Waka This Time for Africa, and Chantaje, she remains one of the most influential female artists of the 21st century.

Shakira's impact on the music scene goes beyond personal achievements. Credited with opening doors for other Latin artists in the international market, she has sold over 100 million records, earning her the title of the best-selling female Latin artist as of 2023, according to Billboard.

Noted for bridging Western and Eastern musical influences, Shakira's heritage as a Colombian of Lebanese descent has made her particularly influential for Latino and Middle-Eastern musicians.

Her accolades include three Grammy Awards, fourteen Latin Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, and numerous others. Recognized for her philanthropy, she received the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year and Harvard Foundation Artist of the Year awards in 2011.

Appointed to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics in the United States in 2011 and honored as Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2012, Shakira's influence extends beyond music into the realms of education and international recognition.

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia, to William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia Ripoll Torrado. She is the only child of her parents and comes from a diverse heritage of Spanish and Lebanese descent.

Her father, William, born in New York City, moved to Colombia at the age of five with his family, who originally hailed from Lebanon. On her mother's side, the family carries two Spanish surnames, Ripoll and Torrado, with the former being Catalan and tracing its roots back to four brothers who immigrated from Catalonia to coastal Colombia in the 19th century.

Shakira has also mentioned having distant Italian roots through an ancestor with the surname Pisciotti. Raised in the Catholic faith, she attended Catholic schools and has eight older half-siblings from her father's previous marriage.

Shakira spent a significant part of her youth in Barranquilla, a city on the northern Caribbean coast of Colombia. Her early artistic inclinations surfaced when she wrote her first poem, La rosa de cristal The Crystal Rose, at the tender age of four.

Inspired by her father, who wrote stories on a typewriter, she requested one as a Christmas gift at age seven, marking the beginning of her journey into poetry and later songwriting. Tragedy struck her family when her older half-brother passed away in a motorcycle accident when Shakira was just two. This event, coupled with her father's prolonged grief, served as inspiration for her first song, Tus gafas oscuras Your dark glasses, composed at the age of eight.

Shakira's exposure to Middle Eastern music occurred at the age of four when her father took her to a local restaurant featuring traditional instruments like the doumbek, a drum associated with belly dancing. Enthralled by the experience, she began dancing on tables, sparking her desire to become a performer.

Despite early setbacks, including being rejected from the school choir due to her strong vibrato, Shakira's passion for live performance persisted. Her hyperactivity in school often led to being sent out of class, earning her the nickname the belly dancer girl.

In a pivotal moment, Shakira's father took her to a local park to witness the lives of orphans, leaving an enduring impact on her. Determined to make a difference, she pledged to help underprivileged children when she became a famous artist.

Between the ages of ten and thirteen, Shakira gained local recognition in Barranquilla and caught the attention of theater producer Monica Ariza. Ariza, impressed by Shakira's talent, played a crucial role in arranging an audition with Sony Colombia executive Ciro Vargas.

Despite initial skepticism from some Sony executives, Shakira's audition impressed Vargas enough for her to secure a record deal, marking the beginning of her remarkable journey in the music industry.

Shakira's musical journey began with her debut album, Magia, recorded with Sony Music Colombia in 1990 when she was just 13 years old. Comprising songs she had been crafting since the age of eight, the album featured a mix of pop-rock ballads and disco uptempo tracks with electronic accompaniment.

Released in June 1991, Magia included singles like the titular track and three others. While it gained traction on Colombian radio and provided exposure for the budding artist, the album faced commercial challenges, selling only 1,200 copies worldwide.

Following the lukewarm reception of Magia, Shakira's label encouraged her to return to the studio for a follow-up. Despite her limited international recognition, she was invited to perform at Chile's Viña del Mar International Song Festival in February 1993. Shakira's rendition of the ballad Eres earned her third place, with one of the judges being the then 20-year-old Ricky Martin.

Discography

Magia (1991): Shakira'nın ilk stüdyo albümüdür. Ancak ticari anlamda büyük bir başarı elde edemedi.
Peligro (1993): İkinci stüdyo albümüdür. Albüm, Shakira'nın prodüksiyonundan memnun kalmamasına rağmen, ilk albüme göre daha iyi bir şekilde karşılanmıştır.
Pies Descalzos (1995): Latin müziği sahnesinde büyük bir çıkış yaptı. "Estoy Aquí" ve "Dónde Estás Corazón" gibi hitleri içerir.
Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998): Bu albüm, Shakira'nın İspanyolca müziğindeki yeteneklerini sergilediği ve büyük bir başarı elde ettiği önemli bir dönemdir.
Laundry Service (2001): Shakira'nın İngilizce müzik piyasasına adım attığı albümdür. "Whenever, Wherever" ve "Underneath Your Clothes" gibi hitleri içerir.
Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005): İlk İspanyolca albümüdür. "La Tortura" gibi başarılı şarkıları içerir.
Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005): İkinci İngilizce albümüdür. "Hips Don't Lie" gibi hitler içerir.
She Wolf (2009): Elektronik ve dans etkileri içeren bu albüm, Shakira'nın müzikal evrimini yansıtır.
Sale el Sol (2010): Latin müziği ile rock, pop ve elektronik tarzları birleştiren bir albümdür.
Shakira (2014): İlk albümünden bu yana İngilizce ve İspanyolca şarkıları bir araya getiren bir çalışmadır.
El Dorado (2017): Bu albüm, Latin müziği ve pop tarzlarını birleştirerek Grammy Ödülü kazandı.
Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (2024): Bu albüm hakkında elimde bilgi olmadığı için spesifik detaylar veremem, ancak Shakira'nın kariyerindeki sonraki gelişmeleri temsil edebilir.