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Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is noted 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 The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
countries with her next albums, ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styl ...
'' (1995) and ''
Dónde Están los Ladrones? ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' ( en, Where Are the Thieves?, italic=yes) is the fourth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 29 September 1998 by Columbia Records and Sony Music Latin. After attaining success in La ...
'' (1998). She entered the English-language market with her fifth album, ''
Laundry Service ''Laundry Service'' ( es, Servicio de Lavandería) is the fifth studio album and first English-language album by Colombian singer Shakira, globally released on 13 November 2001 by Epic Records. It is her first album to be primarily recorded in E ...
'' (2001), which sold over 13 million copies worldwide. Buoyed by the international success of her singles "
Whenever, Wherever "Whenever, Wherever" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira from her fifth studio album and English-language debut, ''Laundry Service'' (2001). It was released on 2 October 2001 by Epic Records as the lead single from the album. The so ...
" and "
Underneath Your Clothes "Underneath Your Clothes" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira for her third studio album and English-language debut, ''Laundry Service'' (2001). The power ballad was the second English language single released from the album; being ...
", the album propelled her reputation as a leading
crossover artist Crossover is a term applied to Musical composition, musical works or performers who appeal to different types of audience. This can be seen, for example, (especially in the United States) when a song appears on two or more of the record charts ...
.
Broadcast Music, Inc. Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 20.6 milli ...
, described Shakira as a "pioneer" who extended the global reach of Latino singers. Her success was further solidified with the Spanish albums '' Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' (2005), ''
Sale el Sol ''Sale el Sol'' ( en, The Sun Comes Out, italic=yes) is the ninth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 19 October 2010, by Epic Records. The album marks a return to Shakira's signature Latin pop sound after the e ...
'' (2010), and '' El Dorado'' (2017), all of which topped the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart and were certified
diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...
(Latin) by the Recording Industry Association of America. Meanwhile, her English albums ''
Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 ''Oral Fixation, Vol. 2'' (Spanish: ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 2'') is the seventh studio album and second English-language album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 28 November 2005, by Epic Records. After attaining international ...
'' (2005), ''
She Wolf ''She Wolf'' ( es, Loba, link=no) is the eighth studio album and third English-language album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. It was released on 9 October 2009, by Epic Records and Sony Music Latin. As executive producers, Shakira and Am ...
'' (2009) and ''
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is n ...
'' (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 "
La Tortura "" (English: "The Torture") is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, from Shakira's sixth studio album ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' (2005). It was released on 13 April 2005 by Epic Records as the lead single ...
", " Hips Don't Lie", "
Beautiful Liar "Beautiful Liar" is a song by American singer Beyoncé and Colombian singer Shakira. It was written by Beyoncé, Amanda Ghost, Ian Dench, and Stargate members Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, and produced by Stargate and Beyoncé for th ...
", "
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", also known as "Waka Waka (Esto es África)" in Spanish, is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring the South African band Freshlyground. Written, composed, and produced by Shakira and John Hill, it was ...
", " Loca", and "
Chantaje "Chantaje" (; English: "Blackmail") is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring vocals by fellow Colombian singer Maluma. The song was released as a single to anticipate Shakira's eleventh studio album ''El Dorado'' (2017) on 28 October 20 ...
". She served as a coach on two seasons of the American singing competition television series ''
The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
'' (2013–2014). With a catalog of 145 songs, Shakira has sold over 80 million records, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. ''
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'' Colombia reported that as of 2018, she is the top-selling female Latin artist of all time. She is credited with opening the doors of the international market for other Latin artists. She has received numerous awards, including three
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s, twelve
Latin Grammy Awards The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
, four MTV Video Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, thirty-nine
Billboard Latin Music Awards The ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards grew out of the ''Billboard'' Music Awards program from ''Billboard'' magazine, an industry publication charting the sales and radio airplay success of musical recordings. The ''Billboard'' awards are the La ...
, six
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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 The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year is an award presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend musicians of Ibero-American heritage for their "artistic ach ...
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 US in 2011, and Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2012.


Early life

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia. She is the only child of William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia Ripoll Torrado. She is of Colombian and Lebanese descent. Her father William was born in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
to a family from
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
. When he was five, his family moved to Colombia. Her Colombian mother's side has two
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
surnames, ''Ripoll'' and ''Torrado'', the former of which is
Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
and originates from four brothers who immigrated from
Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...
to coastal Colombia in the 19th century. She has also claimed to have distant
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
roots through an ancestor with the surname "Pisciotti". She was raised
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and attended Catholic schools. She has eight older half-siblings from her father's previous marriage. (subscription required) Shakira spent much of her youth in Barranquilla, a city located on the northern Caribbean coast of Colombia. Shakira wrote her first poem, titled "La rosa de cristal" ('The Crystal Rose'), when she was only four years old. As she was growing up, she was fascinated watching her father writing stories on a
typewriter A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical machine for typing characters. Typically, a typewriter has an array of keys, and each one causes a different single character to be produced on paper by striking an inked ribbon selectivel ...
, and asked for one as a Christmas gift. She got that typewriter at age seven, and has continued writing poetry since then. These poems eventually evolved into songs. When Shakira was two years old, an older half-brother was killed in a motorcycle accident; six years later, at age eight, Shakira wrote her first song, titled "Tus gafas oscuras" ('Your dark glasses'), which was inspired by her father, who for years wore dark glasses to hide his grief. When Shakira was four, her father took her to a local
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
ern restaurant, where Shakira first heard the doumbek, a traditional drum used in
Middle-Eastern music The various nations of the region include the Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East, the Iranian traditions of Persia, the Jewish music of Israel and the diaspora, Armenian music, Kurdish music, Azeri Music, the varied traditions of Cyprio ...
and which typically accompanied
belly dancing Belly dance (Egyptian Arabic: رقص بلدي, translated: Dance of the Country/Folk Dance, romanized: Raks/Raas Baladi) is a dance that originates in Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso. It has evolved to take many different f ...
. She started dancing on the table, and the experience made her realize that she wanted to be a performer. She enjoyed singing for schoolmates and teachers (and even the nuns) at her Catholic school, but in second grade, she was rejected for the school choir because her
vibrato Vibrato ( Italian, from past participle of " vibrare", to vibrate) is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms ...
was too strong. The music teacher told her that she sounded "like a goat". At school, she was often sent out of the class because of her
hyperactivity Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and otherwise age-inappr ...
. She says she had also been known as "the belly dancer girl", as she would demonstrate every Friday at school a number she had learned. "That's how I discovered my passion for live performance," she says.Katz, Gregory
"Shakira it up with Shakira"
''
USA Weekend ''USA Weekend'' was an American weekend newspaper magazine owned by the Gannett Company. Structured as a sister publication to Gannett's flagship newspaper ''USA Today'' and distributed in the Sunday editions of participating local newspapers, i ...
''. December 11, 2005.
To instill gratitude in Shakira for her upbringing, her father took her to a local park to see orphans who lived there. The images stayed with her, and she said to herself: "One day I'm going to help these kids when I become a famous artist." Between ages ten and thirteen, Shakira was invited to various events in Barranquilla and gained some recognition in the area. It was at this approximate time that she met local theater producer Monica Ariza, who was impressed with her and as a result tried to help her career. During a flight from Barranquilla to Bogotá, Ariza convinced
Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professiona ...
Colombia executive Ciro Vargas to hold an audition for Shakira in a hotel lobby. Vargas held Shakira in high regard and, returning to the Sony office, gave the cassette to a song and artist director. However, the director was not overly excited and thought Shakira was something of "a lost cause". Undaunted and still convinced that Shakira had talent, Vargas set up an audition in Bogotá. He arranged for Sony Colombia executives to arrive at the audition, with the idea of surprising them with Shakira's performance. She performed three songs for the executives and impressed them enough for her to be signed to record three albums.


Career


1990–1995: Beginnings

Shakira's debut album, '' Magia'', was recorded with Sony Music Colombia in 1990 when she was only 13 years old. The songs are a collection made by her since she was eight, mixed
pop-rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
s and disco uptempo songs with electronic accompaniment. The album was released in June 1991 and featured "Magia" and three other singles. Though it fared well on Colombian radio and gave the young Shakira much exposure, the album did not fare well commercially, as only 1,200 copies were sold worldwide. After the poor performance of ''Magia'', Shakira's label urged her to return to the studio to release a follow-up record. Though she was little known outside of her native Colombia at the time, Shakira was invited to perform at Chile's
Viña del Mar International Song Festival , image = , caption =Overture to the closing night of LI Viña del Mar International Song Festival (2010) , location =Viña del Mar, Chile , years_active =1960-present , founders = , dates =3rd week of February , ...
in February 1993. The festival gave aspiring Latin American singers a chance to perform their songs, and the winner was then chosen by a panel of judges. Shakira performed the ballad "Eres" ("You Are") and won the trophy for third place. One of the judges who voted for her to win was the then 20-year-old
Ricky Martin Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...
, whose initial prominence had come from his membership in Menudo. Shakira's second studio album, titled '' Peligro'', was released in March, but Shakira was not pleased with the final result, mainly taking issue with the production. The album was better received than ''Magia'' had been, though it was also considered a commercial failure due to Shakira's refusal to advertise or promote it. Shakira then decided to take a hiatus from recording so that she could graduate from high school. In the same year, Shakira starred in the Colombian TV series ''The Oasis'', loosely based on the
Armero tragedy The Armero tragedy ( es, Tragedia de Armero, links=no ) occurred following the eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz stratovolcano in Tolima, Colombia, on November 13, 1985. The volcano's eruption after 69 years of dormancy caught nearby towns unawa ...
in 1985. Since then, the albums have been pulled from release and are not considered official Shakira albums but rather promotional albums.


1995–2000: Latin breakthrough

Shakira originally recorded the song "
¿Dónde Estás Corazón? "¿Dónde Estás, Corazón?" ( en, "Where Are You, Love?") is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, taken from her third studio album ''Pies Descalzos''. It was released in 1996 by Sony Music and Columbia Records as the second single fro ...
" (later released on her album ''Pies Descalzos'') for the compilation album ''Nuestro Rock'' in 1994, released exclusively in Colombia. The song was an instant success on radio stations in Colombia and Sony decided to finance her third record, by giving her the last chance due to previous commercial failures. Shakira returned to recording music under Sony Music along with Columbia Records in 1995 with Luis F. Ochoa, using musical influences from a number of countries and an Alanis Morissette-oriented persona which affected two of her next albums. These recordings spawned her third studio album, and her international debut album, titled ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styl ...
''. Recording for the album began in February 1995, after the success of her single "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?". The album, ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styl ...
'', was released in October 1995 in the Latin American countries and in February 1996 in the US. It reached number five on the U.S.
Billboard Top Latin Albums Top Latin Albums is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine and is labeled as the most important music chart for Spanish language, full-length albums in the American music market. Like all ''Billboard'' album charts, the chart is base ...
chart. The album spawned six hit singles, "
Estoy Aquí "Estoy Aquí" () is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, taken from her third studio album ''Pies Descalzos'' (1995). It was released in 1995 by Sony Music and Columbia Records as the lead single from the album. The song was written ...
", which reached number two on the U.S. Latin chart, "
¿Dónde Estás Corazón? "¿Dónde Estás, Corazón?" ( en, "Where Are You, Love?") is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, taken from her third studio album ''Pies Descalzos''. It was released in 1996 by Sony Music and Columbia Records as the second single fro ...
" which reached number five on the U.S. Latin chart, "
Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos "Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos" (English: ''Bare Feet, White Dreams'') is the third single from Shakira's third studio album ''Pies Descalzos'' (1996). Written and composed by her, "Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos" talks about all the rules t ...
" which reached number 11 on the U.S. Latin chart, "
Un Poco de Amor "Un Poco de Amor" ( en, "A Little Bit of Love") is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, taken from her third studio album ''Pies Descalzos''. It was released on May 16, 1996, by Sony Music and Columbia Records as the fourth single fro ...
" which reached number six on the U.S. Latin chart, " Antología" which reached number 15 on the U.S. Latin chart, and " Se quiere, Se Mata" which reached number eight on the U.S. Latin chart. In August 1996, RIAA certified the album platinum status. In March 1996, Shakira went on to her first international tour, named simply the ''
Tour Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styles, ...
''. The tour consisted of 20 shows and ended in 1997. Also in that year, Shakira received three
Billboard Latin Music Awards The ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards grew out of the ''Billboard'' Music Awards program from ''Billboard'' magazine, an industry publication charting the sales and radio airplay success of musical recordings. The ''Billboard'' awards are the La ...
for Album of the Year for ''Pies Descalzos'', Video of the Year for "Estoy Aqui", and
Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
. ''Pies Descalzos'' later sold over 5 million copies, prompting the release of a remix album, simply titled '' The Remixes''. ''The Remixes'' also included Portuguese versions of some of her well-known songs, which were recorded as a result of her success in the Brazilian market, where ''Pies Descalzos'' sold nearly one million copies. Her fourth studio album was titled ''
Dónde Están los Ladrones? ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' ( en, Where Are the Thieves?, italic=yes) is the fourth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 29 September 1998 by Columbia Records and Sony Music Latin. After attaining success in La ...
'' Produced by Shakira with
Emilio Estefan, Jr. Emilio Estefan Gómez (born March 4, 1953) is a Cuban-born American musician and producer. Estefan has won 19 Grammy Awards. He first came to prominence as a member of the Miami Sound Machine. He is the husband of singer Gloria Estefan, father ...
as the executive producer it was released in September 1998. The album, inspired by an incident in an airport in which a suitcase filled with her written lyrics was stolen, became a bigger hit than ''Pies Descalzos''. The album has reached a peak position of number 131 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and held the top spot on the U.S. Latin Albums chart for 11 weeks. It has since sold over 7 million copies worldwide and 1.5 million copies in the U.S. alone, making it one of the best selling Spanish albums in the U.S. Eight singles were taken from the album including "
Ciega, Sordomuda "Ciega, Sordomuda" () is a song by Colombian singer Shakira from her fourth studio album, ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' (1998). A pop rock track, it utilizes mariachi trumpets and lyrically equates total love to a person being blind, deaf, ...
", "
Moscas En La Casa "Moscas en la Casa" (''Flies in the House'') is a Latin pop ballad written and performed by Colombian singer Shakira, released as the eighth official single from her 1998 multi-platinum album ''Dónde están los ladrones?''. In the song, Shakira ...
", "
No Creo "No Creo" (''I don't believe'') is a song written and performed by the Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. The song was released as the fourth single, although initially intended to be the lead, from her multi-platinum album ''Dónde Están los ...
", " Inevitable", " ", " Si Te Vas", "
Octavo día "Octavo Día" (English: Eighth Day) is a song written and performed by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. The song was released as the ninth and final single from her multi-platinum album ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' (1998), but received mor ...
", and "
Ojos Así "Ojos Así" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira from her fourth studio album, ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' (1998). An Arabic pop song, the lyrics tell of the singer traveling the world and having not seen eyes like her lover's. I ...
". Shakira also received her first
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
nomination in 1999 for the
Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album The Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album (until 2020: ''Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album'') is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, ...
. Shakira's first live album, ''
MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'', was recorded in New York City on 12 August 1999. Highly acclaimed by American critics, it is rated as one of her best-ever live performances. In March 2000, Shakira embarked on her ''
Tour Anfibio Tour Anfibio ( es, Amphibious Tour, links=no) is second concert tour by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira support of her fourth studio album ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' (2000). that started on March 21, 2000, in Lima, and ended on Ma ...
'', a two-month tour of Latin America and the United States. In August 2000, she won an
MTV Video Music Award The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video categor ...
in the category of People's Choice – Favorite International Artist for "Ojos Así". In September 2000, Shakira performed "Ojos Así" at the inaugural ceremony of the
Latin Grammy Awards The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
, where she was nominated in five categories: Album of the Year and
Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
for ''MTV Unplugged'', Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for "Octavo Día",
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...
and
Best Short Form Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...
for the video for "Ojos Así".


2001–2004: English transition with ''Laundry Service''

Upon the success of ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' and ''MTV Unplugged'', Shakira began working on an English crossover album. She learned English with the help of Gloria Estefan. She worked for over a year on new material for the album. "
Whenever, Wherever "Whenever, Wherever" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira from her fifth studio album and English-language debut, ''Laundry Service'' (2001). It was released on 2 October 2001 by Epic Records as the lead single from the album. The so ...
", called " Suerte" in Spanish-speaking countries, was released as the first and lead single from her first English album and fifth studio album throughout the period between August 2001 and February 2002. The song took heavy influence from Andean music, including the charango and
panpipes A pan flute (also known as panpipes or syrinx) is a musical instrument based on the principle of the closed tube, consisting of multiple pipes of gradually increasing length (and occasionally girth). Multiple varieties of pan flutes have been ...
in its instrumentation. It became an international success by reaching number one in most countries. It was also her first success in the U.S., by reaching number six on the Hot 100. Shakira's fifth studio album and first English language album, titled ''
Laundry Service ''Laundry Service'' ( es, Servicio de Lavandería) is the fifth studio album and first English-language album by Colombian singer Shakira, globally released on 13 November 2001 by Epic Records. It is her first album to be primarily recorded in E ...
'' in English-speaking countries and ''Servicio De Lavanderia'' in Latin America and Spain, was released on 13 November 2001. The album debuted at number three on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling over 200,000 records in its first week. The album was later certified triple platinum by the RIAA in June 2004 as well. It helped to establish Shakira's musical presence in the mainstream North American market. Seven singles were taken from the album such as "Whenever, Wherever"/"Suerte", "
Underneath Your Clothes "Underneath Your Clothes" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira for her third studio album and English-language debut, ''Laundry Service'' (2001). The power ballad was the second English language single released from the album; being ...
", "
Objection (Tango) "Objection (Tango)" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira for her fifth studio album and first English-language album '' Laundry Service'' (2001). It was the first song Shakira wrote in English after being encouraged by American singe ...
"/"
Te Aviso, Te Anuncio (Tango) "Objection (Tango)" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira for her fifth studio album and first English-language album ''Laundry Service'' (2001). It was the first song Shakira wrote in English after being encouraged by American singer ...
", "
The One The ONE is a shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is built on the site of the former Tung Ying Building at 100 Nathan Road. It was developed by Chinese Estates Holdings and opened in 2010. Owner Joseph Lau Luen-hung g ...
", " Te Dejo Madrid", " Que Me Quedes Tú", and "
Poem to a Horse ''Laundry Service'' ( es, Servicio de Lavandería) is the fifth studio album and first English-language album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, globally released on 13 November 2001 by Epic Records. After her fourth studio album ''Dónde Es ...
". Because the album was created for the English-language market, the rock and Spanish dance-influenced album gained mild critical success, with some critics claiming that her English skills were too weak for her to write songs for it; ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', for one, stated that "she sounds downright silly" or "Shakira's magic is lost in translation". A similar view was expressed by Elizabeth Mendez Berry in ''
Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...
'': "While her Spanish-language albums sparkled with elegant wordplay, this record is rife with cliches, both musically and lyrically. ..For Anglophone Latin lovers, Shakira's lyrics are best left to the imagination." Despite this fact, the album became the best selling album of 2002, selling more than 13 million copies worldwide. and became the most successful album of her career to date. The album earned her the title as the biggest Latin female crossover artist in the world. Around this time, Shakira also released four songs for
Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi wa ...
for her promotion in the English markets: "Ask for More", "Pide Más", "Knock on My Door", and "Pídeme el Sol". In ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
'', journalist Joshua Klein defined her international ascent "as multilateral, multicultural and cooperative as they come." In 2002, at Aerosmith's
MTV Icon ''MTV Icon'' is a series of annual television specials produced by MTV between 2001 and 2004, each paying homage to a musical artist or band selected as a cultural icon, in a format similar to the network's annual Video Music Awards and Movie ...
in April 2002, Shakira performed "
Dude (Looks Like a Lady) "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" is a song by American rock band Aerosmith. It was released as the lead single from the band's ninth studio album '' Permanent Vacation'' in 1987. The track reached number 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number 41 ...
". She also joined Cher,
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed " The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston i ...
,
Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
,
Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
, Anastacia, and the
Dixie Chicks The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and ...
for '' VH1 Divas Live Las Vegas''. In August, she performed "Objection (Tango)" at the
2002 MTV Video Music Awards The 2002 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 29, 2002, honoring the best music videos from June 9, 2001, to May 31, 2002. The show was hosted by Jimmy Fallon at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. During the show, Michael Jackson a ...
, and won the International Viewer's Choice Award with "Whenever, Wherever". She also won the
Latin Grammy Award The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
for the category of
Best Short Form Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...
for the Spanish version of the video. In October, she won five
MTV Video Music Awards Latin America MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a d ...
for Best Female Artist, Best Pop Artist, Best Artist – North (Region), Video of the Year (for "Suerte"), and Artist of the Year. In November, she embarked on the
Tour of the Mongoose Tour of the Mongoose (also known as El Tour de la Mangosta in hispanophone countries) is the third concert tour by Colombian singer and songwriter, Shakira, in support of her fifth studio album and first English album, ''Laundry Service'' (2001) ...
with 61 shows occurring by May 2003. The tour was also her first worldwide tour, as legs were played in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Shakira's label, Sony BMG, also released her Spanish greatest-hits compilation, '' Grandes Éxitos''. A DVD and 10-track live album, titled '' Live & Off the Record'', was also released in 2004, commemorating the Tour of the Mongoose.


2005–2007: ''Fijación Oral, Volumen Uno'' and ''Oral Fixation, Volume Two''

Shakira's sixth studio album, '' Fijación Oral, Volumen Uno'', was released in June 2005. The lead single from the album, "
La Tortura "" (English: "The Torture") is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, from Shakira's sixth studio album ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' (2005). It was released on 13 April 2005 by Epic Records as the lead single ...
", reached the top 40 on the Hot 100. The song also featured the Spanish balladeer Alejandro Sanz. Shakira; Sanz and
Daddy Yankee Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1976), known professionally as Daddy Yankee, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, composer, and actor. Known as the " King of Reggaetón" by music critics and fans alike, he is the artist who coined ...
("
Gasolina "Gasolina" ( en, "Gasoline") is a song on Daddy Yankee's 2004 album '' Barrio Fino''. It features uncredited vocals from Glory, who sings the line "dame más gasolina" (meaning "Give me more gasoline"). The song was released as the album's lead ...
") were the first artists to perform Spanish language songs at the
2005 MTV Video Music Awards The 2005 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2005, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The show was hosted by Diddy at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The big winner of the night was Green Day, who ...
. The album was extremely well received. It debuted at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 157,000 copies in its first week. It has since sold over two million copies in the U.S., earning an 11× Platinum (Latin field) certification from the RIAA. Due to its first week sales, the album became the highest debut ever for a Spanish language album. After only a day of release in Latin America, the album earned certifications. In Venezuela, it earned a Platinum certification, in Colombia, a triple Platinum certification, while in Mexico demand exceeded shipments and the album was unavailable after only one day of release. Four other singles were also released from the album: " No", " Día de Enero", "
La Pared LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...
", and " Las de la Intuición". ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' has since sold over four million copies worldwide. On 8 February 2006, Shakira won her second Grammy Award with the win of ''Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album'' for ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1''. She received four Latin Grammy Awards in November 2006, winning the awards for
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
, Song of the Year for "La Tortura", Album of the Year and
Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
for ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1''. The lead single for Shakira's seventh album, ''
Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 ''Oral Fixation, Vol. 2'' (Spanish: ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 2'') is the seventh studio album and second English-language album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 28 November 2005, by Epic Records. After attaining international ...
'', "
Don't Bother "Don't Bother" is a song performed by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, taken from her seventh studio album and second English-language album, ''Oral Fixation, Vol. 2''. The song was released on 11 October 2005, by Epic Records as the lead ...
", failed to achieve chart success in the U.S. by missing the top 40 on the Hot 100. It did, however, reach the top 20 in most countries worldwide. Shakira's second English studio album and seventh studio album, ''Oral Fixation, Vol. 2'', was released on 29 November 2005. The album debuted at number five on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 128,000 copies in its first week. The album has gone on to sell 1.8 million records in the U.S., and over eight million copies worldwide. Despite the commercial failure of the album's lead single in the U.S., it went on to spawn two more singles. " Hips Don't Lie", which featured
Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...
, was released as the album's second single in February 2006. It would become Shakira's first number one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, in addition to reaching number one in over 55 countries. Shakira and Wyclef Jean also recorded a Bamboo version of the song to serve as the closing ceremony song of the
FIFA World Cup 2006 The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
. Shakira later released the third and final single from the album, "
Illegal Illegal, or unlawful, typically describes something that is explicitly prohibited by law, or is otherwise forbidden by a state or other governing body. Illegal may also refer to: Law * Violation of law * Crime, the practice of breaking the ...
", which featured Carlos Santana, in November 2006. She then embarked on the
Oral Fixation Tour Oral Fixation Tour (known as Tour Fijación Oral in hispanophone countries) was the fourth concert tour by Colombian singer and songwriter, Shakira. It was launched in support of her sixth and seventh studio albums ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' (200 ...
, which began in June 2006. The tour consisted of 125 shows between June 2006 and July 2007 and visited six continents. In February 2007, Shakira performed for the first time at the 49th Grammy Awards and earned the nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Hips Don't Lie" with Wyclef Jean. In late 2006, Shakira and Alejandro Sanz collaborated for the duet "
Te lo Agradezco, Pero No "Te Lo Agradezco, Pero No" (English: "Thank you, but no") is a song recorded by Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz and Colombian singer Shakira, for Sanz's eighth studio album ''El Tren de los Momentos'' (2006). It was released as the second single ...
", which is featured on Sanz's album ''
El Tren de los Momentos ''El Tren de los Momentos'' (The Train of the Moments) is the eighth studio album recorded by Spanish singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz, It was released by WEA Latina on November 7, 2006 (see 2006 in music). which counts with the collaborations of ...
''. The song was a top ten hit in Latin America, and topped the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Tracks chart. Shakira also collaborated with Miguel Bosé on the duet " Si Tú No Vuelves", which was released in Bosé's album '' Papito''. In early 2007, Shakira worked with American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for the track "
Beautiful Liar "Beautiful Liar" is a song by American singer Beyoncé and Colombian singer Shakira. It was written by Beyoncé, Amanda Ghost, Ian Dench, and Stargate members Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, and produced by Stargate and Beyoncé for th ...
", which was released as the second single from the deluxe edition of Beyoncé's album ''
B'Day ''B'Day'' is the second studio album by American singer Beyoncé. It was released to coincide with her 25th birthday on September 4, 2006, by Columbia Records, Music World Entertainment, and Sony Urban Music. Originally set to be released in 200 ...
''. In April 2007, the single jumped 91 positions, from 94 to three, on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, setting the record for the largest upward movement in the history of the chart at the time. It was also number one on the official
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. The song earned them a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Shakira was also featured on Annie Lennox's song "
Sing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
", from the album '' Songs of Mass Destruction'', which also features other 23 other female singers. In late 2007, Shakira and Wyclef Jean recorded their second duet, "King and Queen". The song was featured on Wyclef Jean's 2007 album '' Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant''. Shakira wrote the lyrics, and jointly composed the music, for two new songs that are featured in the movie ''
Love in the Time of Cholera ''Love in the Time of Cholera'' ( es, El amor en los tiempos del cólera) is a novel written in Spanish by Colombian Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez and published in 1985. Edith Grossman's English translation was published by ...
'', based on the acclaimed novel written by Colombian author
Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one ...
. García Marquez himself asked Shakira to write the songs. The songs that Shakira lent to the soundtrack were "Pienso en ti", a song from Shakira's breakthrough album ''Pies Descalzos'', "Hay Amores", and "Despedida". "Despedida" was nominated for Best Original Song at the
65th Golden Globe Awards The 65th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television of 2007, were presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on January 13, 2008. Due to threats of boycotts and picketing of the event due to the then-ongoing Writ ...
.


2008–2010: ''She Wolf''

In early 2008,
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
named Shakira the fourth top-earning female artist in music industry. Then, in July of that year, Shakira signed a $300 million contract with Live Nation, which was to remain in effect for ten years. The touring group also doubles as a record label which promotes, but does not control, the music its artists release. Shakira's contract with Epic Records called for three more albums as well – one in English, one in Spanish, and a compilation, but the touring and other rights of the Live Nation deal were confirmed to begin immediately. In January 2009, Shakira performed at the Lincoln Memorial " We Are One" festivities in honor of the inauguration of President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
. She performed " Higher Ground" with Stevie Wonder and Usher. ''
She Wolf ''She Wolf'' ( es, Loba, link=no) is the eighth studio album and third English-language album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. It was released on 9 October 2009, by Epic Records and Sony Music Latin. As executive producers, Shakira and Am ...
'', was released in October 2009 internationally and on 23 November 2009 in the U.S. The album received mainly positive reviews from critics, and was included in AllMusic's year-end "Favorite Albums," "Favorite Latin Albums," and "Favorite Pop Albums" lists. ''She Wolf'' reached number one on the charts of Argentina, Ireland, Italy, Mexico and Switzerland. It also charted inside the top five in Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. It debuted at number fifteen on the ''Billboard'' 200. ''She Wolf'' was
certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
double-platinum in Colombia and Mexico, platinum in Italy and Spain, and gold in numerous countries including France and the United Kingdom. The album sold 2 million copies worldwide, becoming one of Shakira's least successful studio album to date in terms of sales. In May, Shakira collaborated with the South African group
Freshlyground Freshlyground are a South African Afro-fusion band that formed in Cape Town in 2002. The band members have different backgrounds, including South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. Freshlyground's musical style blends elements of traditional Sou ...
to create the official song of the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
in South Africa. "
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", also known as "Waka Waka (Esto es África)" in Spanish, is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring the South African band Freshlyground. Written, composed, and produced by Shakira and John Hill, it was ...
", which is based on a traditional Cameroonian soldiers's Fang song titled " Zangalewa" by the group Zangalewa or Golden Sounds. The single later reached the top 20 in Europe, South America and Africa and the top 40 in the U.S. and was performed by Shakira at the World Cup kick-off and closing. It became the biggest-selling World Cup song of all time.


2010–2015: ''Sale el Sol'' and ''Shakira''

In October 2010, Shakira released her ninth studio album, titled ''
Sale el Sol ''Sale el Sol'' ( en, The Sun Comes Out, italic=yes) is the ninth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 19 October 2010, by Epic Records. The album marks a return to Shakira's signature Latin pop sound after the e ...
''. The album received critical acclaim and was included in AllMusic's "Favorite Albums of 2010" and "Favorite Latin Albums of 2010" year-end lists. At the 2011
Latin Grammy Awards The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
ceremony, ''Sale el Sol'' was nominated for " Album of the Year" and " Best Female Pop Vocal Album", winning the award in the latter category. Commercially the album was a success throughout Europe and Latin America, ''Sale el Sol'' peaked atop the charts of countries Belgium, Croatia, France, Mexico, Portugal and Spain. In the United States, it debuted at number seven on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart marking the highest debut for a Latin album for the year and was Shakira's fifth album to peak at number one. According to ''Billboard'', 35% of its first-week sales were credited to strong digital sales. The album also peaked at number one on both the
Top Latin Albums Top Latin Albums is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine and is labeled as the most important music chart for Spanish language, full-length albums in the American music market. Like all ''Billboard'' album charts, the chart is based ...
and
Latin Pop Albums Latin Pop Albums is a record chart published on ''Billboard'' magazine. It features Latin music information of the Pop music genre. Established in June 1985, this chart features only full-length albums and like all album charts on ''Billboard'', i ...
charts, achieving strong digital sales in the region. The lead single, " Loca", was number one in many countries. The album had sold over 1 million copies worldwide in 6 weeks, and over 4 million since its release. In September, Shakira embarked on
The Sun Comes Out World Tour The Sun Comes Out World Tour (also known as the Sale el Sol World Tour) was the fifth concert tour by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, launched in support of her eighth and ninth studio albums, ''She Wolf'' (2009) and '' Sale El Sol'' ( ...
, in support of her two most recent albums. The tour visited countries in North America, Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa with 107 shows in all. The tour was met with positive reactions from critics, who praised Shakira's stage presence and energy during her performances. On 9 November 2011, Shakira was honored as
Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year is an award presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend musicians of Ibero-American heritage for their "artistic ach ...
and performed a cover of
Joe Arroyo Álvaro José Arroyo González (also known as Joe Arroyo or El Joe; 1 November 1955 – 26 July 2011) was a Colombian salsa and tropical music singer, composer and songwriter. He was considered one of the greatest performers of Caribbean music i ...
's song "En Barranquilla Me Quedo" at the
Mandalay Bay Events Center The Michelob Ultra Arena, formerly the Mandalay Bay Events Center, is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose indoor arena at the Mandalay Bay, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by M ...
as a tribute to the singer, who had died earlier that year. In 2010 Shakira collaborated with rapper
Pitbull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...
for the song " Get It Started", which was slated to be the lead single from Pitbull's upcoming album, ''Global Warming''. The single was released on 28 June 2012. She was also signed to
Roc Nation Roc Nation is an entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z in 2008. The company is headquartered in Manhattan and has additional offices in Los Angeles and London. Roc Nation comprises a comprehensive talent agency, sports agency, record label, mana ...
under management purposes for her upcoming studio album. On 17 September 2012, it was announced that Shakira and Usher would replace
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
and
CeeLo Green Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...
for the fourth season of the U.S. TV show ''
The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
'', alongside Adam Levine and
Blake Shelton Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music singer and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". The lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" spent five weeks at ...
. Shakira announced that she would focus on her new album in the fall and eventually returned for the show's sixth season in February 2014. Shakira originally planned to release her new album in 2012, but due to her pregnancy, plans to release the single and video were postponed. In December 2013, it was announced that Shakira's new single had been delayed until January 2014. Shakira's self-titled tenth studio album was later released on 25 March 2014. Commercially the album debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart with first week sales of 85,000 copies. By doing so, ''Shakira'' became the singer's highest-charting album on the chart, although it also achieved her lowest first-week sales figure (for an English-language album). The album spawned three singles. After release the first two singles from the album, "
Can't Remember to Forget You "Can't Remember to Forget You" is a song recorded by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira from her fourth English and overall tenth studio album, ''Shakira'', featuring Barbadian singer Rihanna. Shakira began planning to make new music in 2011; w ...
" and "
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
".
RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
chose "Dare (La La La)" as third single. The
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
version was officially released on 27 May to impact radio stations, features Brazilian musician
Carlinhos Brown Antônio Carlos Santos de Freitas, known professionally as Carlinhos Brown (Brazilian Portuguese: /kaʁˈlĩɲus bɾaw̃, -iɲuʃ/, 23 November 1962), is a Brazilian singer, percussionist, and record producer from Salvador, Bahia. His musical ...
. On 13 July 2014, Shakira performed " La La La (Brazil 2014)" with Carlinhos Brown at the 2014 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony at the Maracanã Stadium. This performance became her third consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup.


2016–2020: ''El Dorado'' and Super Bowl LIV

Shakira began work on her eleventh studio album in the beginning of 2016. In May 2016, she collaborated with Colombian singer Carlos Vives on the track "
La Bicicleta "La Bicicleta" ( en, "The Bicycle") is a song by Colombian singers Carlos Vives and Shakira from Vives' fifteenth studio album ''Vives'' (2017) and is also included as an album track on Shakira's eleventh studio album ''El Dorado'' (2017). The ...
", which went to win the
Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year The Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year is an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence and creates a wider awareness of cultural diversity and contributions of Latin recording artists in the ...
and Song of the Year. On 28 October 2016, Shakira released the single "
Chantaje "Chantaje" (; English: "Blackmail") is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring vocals by fellow Colombian singer Maluma. The song was released as a single to anticipate Shakira's eleventh studio album ''El Dorado'' (2017) on 28 October 20 ...
" with Colombian singer
Maluma Juan Luis Londoño Arias (born 28 January 1994), known professionally as Maluma, is a Colombian singer, songwriter, and actor. Born and raised in Medellín, he developed an interest in music at a young age, recording songs since age sixteen. ...
; though the song was a track from the upcoming eleventh studio album, it was not intended to be the lead single. The song became Shakira's most-viewed YouTube video, with over 2.1 billion views as of 1 June 2018. On 7 April 2017, Shakira released the song " Me Enamoré" as the second official single taken from her eleventh studio album '' El Dorado,'' which was released on 26 May 2017. She also released the song "
Perro Fiel "Perro Fiel" () is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring American singer Nicky Jam. It was written by Shakira, Nicky Jam, Saga WhiteBlack and Juan Medina, and produced by the former three. The song was released on 29 September 2017 as the ...
" featuring
Nicky Jam Nick Rivera Caminero (born March 17, 1981), known professionally as Nicky Jam, is an American singer and actor. He is best known for hits such as " X", "Travesuras", "En la Cama", "Te Busco", " El Perdón", " Hasta el Amanecer", and " El Amante ...
as a promotional single for the album on 25 May 2017. Its official release as the third single took place on 15 September 2017, the same date its music video, which was filmed in Barcelona on 27 July 2017, was released. Before being released as a single, "Perro Fiel" was already certified as gold in Spain for selling over 20,000 copies on 30 August 2017. In January 2018, Shakira won her third
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
for Best Latin Pop Album for ''El Dorado'', making her the only female Latin artist to do so. She then released "
Trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
", the fourth single off the album and her second collaboration with Maluma. The
El Dorado World Tour The El Dorado World Tour was the sixth world tour by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, in support of her diamond certified eleventh studio album, ''El Dorado (Shakira album), El Dorado''. Comprising a total of 54 shows, the tour visited E ...
was announced on 27 June 2017, through Shakira's official Twitter account, and was slated to be sponsored by Rakuten. Other announced partners of the tour were Live Nation Entertainment's Global Touring Division (which had previously collaborated with Shakira on her
The Sun Comes Out World Tour The Sun Comes Out World Tour (also known as the Sale el Sol World Tour) was the fifth concert tour by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, launched in support of her eighth and ninth studio albums, ''She Wolf'' (2009) and '' Sale El Sol'' ( ...
) and
Citi Citigroup Inc. or Citi (stylized as citi) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services corporation headquartered in New York City. The company was formed by the merger of banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomer ...
, which the press release named as, respectively, the producer and the credit card for the North American leg of the tour. The tour, it was announced, would begin on 8 November, in
Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
, Germany. But due to voice-strain related problems the singer experienced during her tour rehearsals, the date was cancelled one day before the original tour schedule, and it was announced that it would be rescheduled for a later date. On 9 November, for the same reason, she also announced the postponements to later dates, to be determined and announced, for both shows in Paris, as well as the following ones in Antwerp and
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
. On 14 November, Shakira made an announcement, through her social networks, in which she revealed that she had suffered a haemorrhage on her right vocal cord in late October, at her last series of rehearsals, and that she thus needed to rest her voice for some time to recover; this forced the postponement of the tour's entire European itinerary to 2018. The Latin American dates were expected to be announced later, when the tour resumed. There were plans to bring the tour, when it did resume, to countries such as the Dominican Republic. In addition, a journalist from the Brazilian edition of the Portuguese newspaper ''
Destak ''Destak'' is a Portuguese free daily newspaper that runs in Portugal and Brazil. In Portugal, it is distributed in Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra, and also other Portuguese cities. In Brazil, it is distributed in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasíli ...
'' announced, on his Twitter account, that the Colombian singer would visit Brazil the following March. However, according to the same newspaper, due to Shakira's hiatus to recover from her vocal-cord haemorrhage, the Latin American dates were also postponed to the second half of 2018. Eventually, Shakira did recover fully from the haemorrhage she had suffered and resumed her tour, performing in
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
, Germany on 3 June 2018. In January 2018 she announced the dates for her
El Dorado World Tour The El Dorado World Tour was the sixth world tour by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, in support of her diamond certified eleventh studio album, ''El Dorado (Shakira album), El Dorado''. Comprising a total of 54 shows, the tour visited E ...
. She began the first leg of her tour in Europe, starting in
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
, Germany on 3 June and then ending in
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, Spain on 7 July. She then spent a short time in Asia on the 11 and 13 July, after which she went to North America. She started her time there on 3 August in Chicago and finished in San Francisco on 7 September. Her tour dates for Latin America, started in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
on 11 October and finished in Bogota, Colombia on 3 November. ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' ranked her among the world's highest-paid women in music in 2019, at number 10. In February 2020, she and Jennifer Lopez performed for the Super Bowl LIV halftime show. According to ''Billboard'', the halftime show had a viewership of 103 million people. On
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
, it became the most viewed halftime show at that point in time. Shakira appeared in two television specials performing her songs during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, including '' Global Goal: Unite for Our Future'' (with "
Sale el Sol ''Sale el Sol'' ( en, The Sun Comes Out, italic=yes) is the ninth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 19 October 2010, by Epic Records. The album marks a return to Shakira's signature Latin pop sound after the e ...
") and '' The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II'' (with "Try Everything").


2021–present: Upcoming twelfth studio album and ''Dancing with Myself''

In January 2021, Shakira sold her catalog of 145 songs to
Hipgnosis Songs Fund Hipgnosis Songs Fund is a British Guernsey-registered music IP investment and song management company founded by Merck Mercuriadis and Nile Rodgers in 2018. Focused on songs and associated musical intellectual property rights, it was founded ...
. The company did not disclose the financial details of the sale. On 16 July 2021, Shakira released a single titled " Don't Wait Up". On April 21, she released the song " Te Felicito" with singer
Rauw Alejandro Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz (born January 10, 1993), known professionally as Rauw Alejandro, is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter. Referred to as the " King of Modern Reggaeton", he belongs to "the new generation" of Puerto Rican urban musi ...
, as the lead single from her upcoming twelfth studio album. Shakira confirmed in May 2022 that work on the album was finished and it would be an
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
infused album with hints of
urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...
and
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
music. She was honored by the
Ivors Academy The Ivors Academy (formerly the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors – BASCA) is one of the largest professional associations for music writers in Europe. The academy exists to support, protect, and campaign for the interests ...
in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
with the
Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...
' Special Award for Songwriting celebrating her songwriting in both English and Spanish and paving the way for Latin artists. By the end of that month, the dance reality competition show, ''
Dancing with Myself "Dancing with Myself" is a song by the punk rock band Gen X, first commercially released in the United Kingdom in October 1980, where it reached number 62 on the singles chart. It was remixed and re-released by the band's singer/frontman Bi ...
'', on which Shakira served as an executive producer and co-creator,along with
Liza Koshy Elizabeth Shaila "Liza" Koshy (born March 31, 1996), is an American media personality and actress. Her main YouTube channel has amassed more than 17 million subscribers, and her two channels have a combined total of over 3 billion views. She ha ...
and
Nick Jonas Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...
premiered on NBC.


Artistry

On her music, Shakira has said that, "my music, I think, is a fusion of many different elements. And I'm always experimenting. So I try not to limit myself, or put myself in a category, or... be the architect of my own jail." Shakira has frequently stated she is inspired by oriental music and Indian music, which influenced many of her earlier works. She has also been influenced by her
Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
heritage, which was a major inspiration for her breakthrough world hit "
Ojos Así "Ojos Así" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira from her fourth studio album, ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' (1998). An Arabic pop song, the lyrics tell of the singer traveling the world and having not seen eyes like her lover's. I ...
". She told Portuguese TV, "Many of my movements belong to
Arab culture Arab culture is the culture of the Arabs, from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean in the southeast. The various religions the Arab ...
." She also cites her parents as having been major contributors to her musical style. She is also strongly influenced by Andean music and South American
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
, using her native instrumentation for her Latin dance-pop songs. Her earlier Spanish albums, including ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styl ...
'' and ''
Dónde Están los Ladrones? ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' ( en, Where Are the Thieves?, italic=yes) is the fourth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 29 September 1998 by Columbia Records and Sony Music Latin. After attaining success in La ...
'' were a mix of folk music and Latin rock. Her cross-over English album, ''
Laundry Service ''Laundry Service'' ( es, Servicio de Lavandería) is the fifth studio album and first English-language album by Colombian singer Shakira, globally released on 13 November 2001 by Epic Records. It is her first album to be primarily recorded in E ...
'' and later albums were influenced by
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
and pop Latino. "Laundry Service" is primarily a
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
album, but also draws influences from a variety of musical genres. The singer credited this to her mixed ethnicity, saying: "I am a fusion. That's my persona. I'm a fusion between black and white, between pop and rock, between cultures – between my Lebanese father and my mother's Spanish blood, the Colombian folklore and Arab dance I love and American music." The Arabian and Middle Eastern music elements that exerted a high influence on ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' are also present in ''Laundry Service'', most prominently on "Eyes Like Yours"/"Ojos Así". Musical styles from different South American countries surface on the album.
Tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...
, a style of fast-paced ballroom dance that originated in Argentina, is evident on "Objection (Tango)", which also combines elements of
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...
. The
uptempo A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mus ...
track features a guitar solo and a bridge in which Shakira delivers
rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
-like vocals. ''She Wolf'' is primarily an electropop album that combines influences from the musical styles of various countries and regions, like Africa, Colombia, India, and the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
. Shakira termed the album as a "sonic experimental trip", and said that she researched
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
from different countries in order to "combine electronics with world sounds, tambourines, clarinets, oriental and
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
music, dancehall, etc." Her 2010 album, ''
Sale el Sol ''Sale el Sol'' ( en, The Sun Comes Out, italic=yes) is the ninth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 19 October 2010, by Epic Records. The album marks a return to Shakira's signature Latin pop sound after the e ...
'', is a return to her beginnings containing ballads, rock songs, and
Latin dance Latin dance is a general label, and a term in partner dance competition jargon. It refers to types of ballroom dance and folk dance that mainly originated in Latin America. The category of Latin dances in the international dancesport competi ...
songs like " Loca". In 2017, '' Deutsche Welle''s journalist Kate Müser commented on Shakira's "globalized sound": " erLatin beats, spiced with Middle Eastern and other world elements and made comfortably familiar by being churned through the pop machine, make you feel like a citizen of the world."


Influences

As a child, Shakira was influenced by rock music, listening heavily to rock bands like
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
,
the Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
,
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
,
the Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Polic ...
and U2, while her other influences included Gloria Estefan, Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Marc Anthony,
Meredith Brooks Meredith Ann Brooks (born June 12, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist best known for her 1997 hit song "Bitch", for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award. Career Brooks started her music career in 1976 as a member of ...
and
the Cure The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member. The band's ...
.


Dance

Shakira is well known for her dancing in her music videos and concerts. Her distinctive dancing style is said to combine Latin dancing with
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
ern
belly dancing Belly dance (Egyptian Arabic: رقص بلدي, translated: Dance of the Country/Folk Dance, romanized: Raks/Raas Baladi) is a dance that originates in Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso. It has evolved to take many different f ...
, which is derived from her Lebanese heritage, and her hip shaking is mentioned in songs, such as
Fifth Harmony Fifth Harmony, often shortened to 5H, was an American girl group based in Miami, composed of Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, and previously Camila Cabello until her departure from the group in December 2016. The group sig ...
's "Brave Honest Beautiful". She is noted for usually employing minimal production, usually taking the stage with minimal makeup and natural hair, and without background dancers in her performances, preferring to focus on her vocals, dance moves, and stage presence. She often performs
barefoot Barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear. There are health benefits and some risks associated with going barefoot. Shoes, while they offer protection, can limit the flexibility, strength, and mobility of the foot and can lead to h ...
, a form of dance she learned as a young teen to overcome her shyness. She also mentioned in an MTV interview that she learned how to belly dance by trying to flip a coin with her belly.


Singing

Shakira is a
contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...
. Shakira is known for her "unique and mesmerizing" singing voice which includes her "trademark"
yodeling Yodeling (also jodeling) is a form of singing which involves repeated and rapid changes of pitch between the low-pitch chest register (or "chest voice") and the high-pitch head register or falsetto. The English word ''yodel'' is derived from the ...
. Analyzing Shakira's cover of "
Je l'aime à mourir "Je l'aime à mourir" ( en, I Love Her to Death) is a French-language song written by Francis Cabrel. It is taken from his second album ''Les Chemins de traverse'' released in 1979 that sold over 600,000 copies in France. The single "Je l'aime ...
", vocal teacher Beth Roars also noted Shakira's use of yodeling, explaining that there is "heaviness at the bottom of her tone" which "flips up" into "her
head voice Head voice is a term used within vocal music. The use of this term varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regard to this term. Head voice can be used in re ...
", as well as her ability to execute "complex
melisma Melisma ( grc-gre, μέλισμα, , ; from grc, , melos, song, melody, label=none, plural: ''melismata'') is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is refer ...
". She also noted Shakira's use of " Arabic scales", then stating that she uses "
harmonic minor scale In music theory, the minor scale is three scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending) – rather than just two as with the major scale, which al ...
s instead of
pentatonic scale A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave, in contrast to the heptatonic scale, which has seven notes per octave (such as the major scale and minor scale). Pentatonic scales were developed independently by many an ...
s".


Legacy and impact

Shakira is a prominent figure in Latin music, commonly hailed as the 'Queen of Latin Music' for her successful crossover to the global market. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' called her the "Titan of Latin Pop" for her unique and leading position in Latin music, saying: "Even as a new generation of Spanish-speaking artists are crossing over into American music's mainstream, Shakira's output stands alone." A similar comparative perspective was made by ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'', who named Shakira an "International Phenom" for her global appeal and sales statistics, further elaborating with "To put her in perspective, other Latin exports such as Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez are mere minnows next to Shakira, both selling half the number of records she does". ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' has deemed Shakira as "crossover phenom" for her unmatched success of crossover and one of the world's most powerful Latinas. ''Forbes'' further listed Shakira as one of the world's most powerful female celebrities.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
's biographer Steve Huey described her as a "Wildly inventive diva who created a cross-cultural pop sound rooted in her native Colombia but encompassing nearly every territory in the world. ..she wrote or co-wrote nearly all of her own material, and in the process gained a reputation as one of Latin music's most ambitiously poetic lyricists." Her unprecedented crossover has inspired other Latin American artists to attempt crossing over, one example is Mexican pop star
Paulina Rubio Paulina Susana Rubio Dosamantes (; born 17 June 1971) is a Mexican singer. Referred to as " The Golden Girl" and " Queen of Latin Pop", she first achieved recognition as a member of the successful pop group Timbiriche from 1982 through 1991. Af ...
, having '' MTV'' saying "there's no question that Shakira opened doors in this country for artists like Rubio to succeed." Similarly, '' Spin'' credits Shakira to have paved the way for other Latin artists to crossover, naming names like
Maluma Juan Luis Londoño Arias (born 28 January 1994), known professionally as Maluma, is a Colombian singer, songwriter, and actor. Born and raised in Medellín, he developed an interest in music at a young age, recording songs since age sixteen. ...
and
J Balvin José Álvaro Osorio Balvín (born 7 May 1985), known professionally as J Balvin, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. He has been referred to as the " Prince of Reggaeton" (from Spanish: "Príncipe del Reggaetón"), and is one of the best-sell ...
. After the crossover, her global and mainstream presence became big enough for ''Time'' magazine to call Shakira a "pop legend." She was marked as "one of the most influential artists of the 21st century" by '' ET''. Throughout her career, Shakira has earned several titles, including "The Crossover Queen" by ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Eco ...
'', "The Queen of World Cup" by '' Billboard'', and "Latin America's Pop Queen" by ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
''. ''Billboard'' has also noted that Shakira's music videos have "redefined the role of dancing in music videos", while listing her as the best Latin female music video artist of all time. The Middle Eastern newspaper ''El Correo del Golfo'' credits Shakira with "having opened the way" for several Hispanic singers today. The authors of ''Reggaeton'', published by
Duke University Press Duke University Press is an academic publisher and university press affiliated with Duke University. It was founded in 1921 by William T. Laprade as The Trinity College Press. (Duke University was initially called Trinity College). In 1926 D ...
, credited Shakira for popularizing the genre ''(
reggaeton Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico. It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American hip hop, ...
)'' in North America, Europe, and Asia, while the '' Public Broadcasting Service'' called her one of the three "most successful artists of the so-called Golden Age of Latin Music which reshaped America's cultural landscape for the twenty-first century". Alongside her impact on Latin and mainstream pop culture, Shakira has also impacted
popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
in the
Arab World The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
due to her popularity in the region. In a publication titled ''Popular Culture in the Arab World: Arts, Politics, and the Media'', author Andrew Hammond credits Shakira for impacting and shifting the images of Arab pop stars such as Moroccan
Samira Said Samira Abdelrazak Bensaïd ( ar, سميرة عبد الرزاق بنسعيد, Samīra ʿAbd ar-Razzāq ibn Saʿīd; born 10 January 1958), professionally known as Samira Said ( ar, سميرة سعيد, Samīra Saʿīd), is a Moroccan singer, who ...
and Lebanese
Nawal Al Zoghbi Nawal El Zoghbi ( ar, نوال الزغبي, also spelled Nawal Al Zoghbi; born 29 June 1972) is a Lebanese pop singer. She achieved popularity first by dancing and singing traditional Arabic music with a pop sensibility, and later singing in ...
, saying "
hey Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
have shifted their image and sound in attempt to follow in her (Shakira's) footsteps". In 1999 Shakira's ''
MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'' became the program's first episode to be broadcast entirely in Spanish The concert is also noted to be the first time a Latin pop act attempted an Unplugged, as well as the first Latina solo act to do so. In 2001 Shakira's " Whenever Wherever" music video was aired on MTV with both the English and Spanish versions. According to a spokesman for the channel, this is noted as "the first time that U.S. MTV has aired a Spanish-language video." Following Daddy Yankee's "Gasolina" by five months, "
La Tortura "" (English: "The Torture") is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, from Shakira's sixth studio album ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' (2005). It was released on 13 April 2005 by Epic Records as the lead single ...
" was one of the first full Spanish-language music videos to air on MTV without an English version. In 2005, Sanz and Shakira performed "La Tortura" at the MTV Video Music Awards. In 2006 " Hips Don't Lie" was selected as one of the greatest songs by 21st century female artists by
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
, ranked at number 65. "
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", also known as "Waka Waka (Esto es África)" in Spanish, is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring the South African band Freshlyground. Written, composed, and produced by Shakira and John Hill, it was ...
" was named by ''Billboard'' the best and most commercially successful World Cup song. Published by the US Bureau of International Information Programs, the journal ''Global Issues'' (2006) cited Shakira as an example of a celebrity "in today's globalized world" who "made it big by sharing the uniqueness of their talent and culture with the global community." In 2020, ''
The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspaper ...
'' found Shakira's longevity in the industry "particularly impressive given her ability to breach the lines of crossover, a feat not many artists have been able to achieve." A similar remark was made by ''
Paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distrib ...
'' magazine, when writing about Shakira's longevity and her being one of the few pre-digital era artists to successfully crack the digital-streaming era of music, penning " hakirais a titan in the digital era of music where she devours billions of streams with her catalog." In 2010,
Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
revealed that Shakira was the most searched female entertainer of the year. In 2020, Shakira was the most Googled musician of the year. In December 2021 Shakira was named by
Kiss FM Kiss FM, Kiss Radio or variants may refer to: Asia-Oceania * Various Kiss FM-branded stations in the Philippines ** 95.1 Kiss FM, Lucena, Quezon ** 102.3 Kiss FM, Tagbilaran, Bohol * Kiss92 FM, Singapore * KISS 969, Sri Lanka * Kiss Radio Taiwan ...
as one of the most influential female artists of the 21st century highlighting her achievements in the international market Many artists have cited Shakira as an influence, including Beyoncé, Rihanna,
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, Farina, Jbalvin,
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Gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ).Sofia Reyes Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...
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, Sebastian Yatra,
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, Kris Kross Ámsterdam, and
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Shakira has even received the admiration of intellectuals and writers such as
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
winner
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who has said "No one of any age can sing or dance with the innocent sensuality Shakira seems to have invented". Márquez wrote an essay exalting Shakira's "phenomenal musical talent", and "extraordinary maturity". The newspaper ''El Correo del Golfo'' wrote that Shakira was the greatest exponent of Middle Eastern music in the West, citing her interest in
Arabic music Arabic music or Arab music ( ar, الموسيقى العربية, al-mūsīqā al-ʿArabīyyah) is the music of the Arab world with all its diverse music styles and genres. Arabic countries have many rich and varied styles of music and also man ...
and dance. Her influence has transcended the boundaries of pop culture, that she has become a socio-political influencer, and was named as one of the "World's Greatest Leaders" of 2017 by '' Fortune''. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' has written an extensive article about Shakira's impact on Colombia's social change, specifically in education, and her ability to discuss this issue with world leaders like
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
, and
Gordon Brown James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Tony B ...
. Similarly ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' has described Shakira as a "living proof that pop and politics mix" further noting that through her efforts and influence she is able to have "the ears of the global political elite".


Monuments

* In 2006, a , statue of Shakira was installed in her hometown Barranquilla in a park near Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez. * In July 2018 Shakira visited
Tannourine Tannourine ( ar, تنورين, also Tannoureen, Tannorine) is a Lebanese town located in the Batroun District, part of the Governorate of North Lebanon, 80 km from the capital Beirut. Tannourine is formed by a cluster of mountain settlements ...
in Lebanon which is the village of her paternal grandmother. During her visit she visited the Cedars Reserve in Tannourine where a square in the forest was named after her. The square holds the name "Shakira Isabelle Mebarak"


Achievements

Shakira has received numerous awards and recognition for her work. She is the recipient of three
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s and twelve
Latin Grammy Award The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
s— the most for a female artist. Shakira has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, making her one of world's best-selling music artists. By the time she released ''Laundry Service'' in 2001, she have already sold 10 million albums in Latin America according to ''Billboard''. Three of her albums are among the best-selling Latin albums in the United States: '' Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' (8th), ''
Dónde Están los Ladrones? ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' ( en, Where Are the Thieves?, italic=yes) is the fourth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 29 September 1998 by Columbia Records and Sony Music Latin. After attaining success in La ...
'' (9th) and ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styl ...
'' (23rd); she is the female artist with the highest number of best-selling Latin albums in the country. ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' became the best-selling Latin pop album and the second best-selling Latin album overall of the 2000's in the U.S. ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' is also one of the best-selling albums in
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
, Colombia and
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
; as well as ''Pies Descalzos'' is one of the best-selling albums in
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
and Colombia. Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems said that " Hips Don't Lie" was the most-played pop song in a single week in American radio history, being played 9,637 times in one week. This song makes Shakira the first artist in the history of the ''Billboard'' charts to reach the number-one spots on both the
Top 40 Mainstream Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the Un ...
and a Latin chart in the same week. Additionally, she became the only artist from South America to reach the number-one spot on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the Australian
ARIA In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...
chart, and the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Shakira is the female artist with most top-ten hits on the ''Billboard''s Hot Latin Songs chart (32). Her song "
La Tortura "" (English: "The Torture") is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, from Shakira's sixth studio album ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' (2005). It was released on 13 April 2005 by Epic Records as the lead single ...
" at one time held the chart's record for most weeks appearing at number-one, with a total of 25 non-consecutive weeks (this record is currently held by the
Luis Fonsi Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for multiple songs, one of them being " Despacito" featuring rapper Daddy Yankee. Fonsi received his first ...
song "
Despacito "Despacito" (; "Slowly") is a song by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi featuring Puerto Rican rapper and singer Daddy Yankee as the lead single from Fonsi's 2019 studio album '' Vida''. Released on January 12, 2017, the song was written by Fonsi ...
" with 56 weeks). She is also the female artist with most number-one hits on the
Latin Airplay Latin Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It was established on October 20, 2012. This chart lists the 50 most-played songs on Spanish-language radio stations across the country as monitored by Niel ...
chart (17).
Nokia Nokia Corporation (natively Nokia Oyj, referred to as Nokia) is a Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation, established in 1865. Nokia's main headquarters are in Espoo, Finland, i ...
stated in 2010, that there were more Shakira music downloads in the prior year than for any other Latino artist in the last five years, and ''
She Wolf ''She Wolf'' ( es, Loba, link=no) is the eighth studio album and third English-language album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. It was released on 9 October 2009, by Epic Records and Sony Music Latin. As executive producers, Shakira and Am ...
'' topped the Top 10 Latino downloads. In 2010, she was ranked number five on the 'Online Video's Most Viral Artists of 2010' with 404,118,932 views. In 2011, Shakira was honored at the
Latin Grammys The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been r ...
as
Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year is an award presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend musicians of Ibero-American heritage for their "artistic ach ...
, and by the Harvard Foundation as Cultural Rhythms Artist of the Year. She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6270 Hollywood Blvd. Originally, she was to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004, but she turned the offer down. In 2012, she received the honor of
Chevalier De L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...
. In 2014, Shakira became the first musical act to perform three times at the FIFA World Cup. In the same year, ''
Aleiodes shakirae ''Aleiodes shakirae'' is a species of parasitic wasp belonging to the family Braconidae. The species is named after Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Co ...
'', a new species of parasitic wasp was named after her because it causes its host to "shake and wiggle". ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' ranked Shakira on their list of " Top 100 World's Most Powerful Women" at number 40 in 2012, at 52 in 2013, and at 58 in 2014. In 2015 ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' recognized Shakira as one of the most influential people on social media. Shakira and Argentine president
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (; born 19 February 1953), often referred to by her initials CFK, is an Argentine lawyer and politician who has served as the Vice President of Argentina since 2019. She also served as the President o ...
were the only Latin influencers named on the list. More so, ''Time'' noted that Shakira has an "unparalleled platform" on social media where she promotes her philanthropy. In 2008, Shakira was named as the Honorary Chair of the
Global Campaign for Education Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to: Entertainment * ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003 * ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007 * ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 1989 * ''Global'' (Todd Rundgren album), 2015 * Bruno ...
Global Action Week. In 2018,
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
included Shakira in the list of the top 10 most streamed female artists of the decade on the platform, making her the highest streamed Latin artist. In 2020, Shakira became the first female artist to have 4 songs from different decades to have over 100 million streams on Spotify, also marking her as the only artist with Spanish songs, the only Latin artist, and third overall after
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
and Eminem to achieve this milestone. In the same year, she broke the Vevo Certified Awards record, and set it at 37, becoming the artist with the most videos with over 100 million views. She is now worth $300 million.


Other ventures

Shakira has ventured into many other businesses and industries. She acted in the Colombian
telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...
''El Oasis'' in 1994, playing the character of Luisa Maria. Shakira began her own beauty line, "
S by Shakira S by Shakira is the first woman's fragrance by Colombian singer songwriter Shakira. Developing an interest in perfumery and scents, Shakira signed an agreement with international fashion company Puig to create a line of beauty and personal car ...
", with parent company Puig, in 2010. Among the first perfumes it released included "S by Shakira" and "S by Shakira Eau Florale", along with lotions and body sprays. As of 2019, she has released 30 fragrances, not counting deluxe editions. On 17 September 2015, she was featured as a playable bird in the game Angry Birds POP! for a limited time, and also in a special tournament in the game
Angry Birds Friends ''Angry Birds Friends'' (formerly ''Angry Birds Facebook'') is a puzzle video game and the fourth game in the ''Angry Birds'' series. It is developed and published by Rovio Entertainment. The game was originally an exclusive Facebook game called ...
after a few weeks. On 15 October 2015, Love Rocks starring Shakira was the first video game that featured the pop star. On 14 August 2015, at
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
's D23 Expo, it was announced that Shakira would play a character in the Disney animated movie ''
Zootopia ''Zootopia'' (titled ''Zootropolis'' in various regions) is a 2016 American computer-animated buddy cop action comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 55th Disney animated feature film, ...
;'' in it, she would give voice to Gazelle, the biggest pop star in Zootopia. Shakira also contributed an original song to the film, titled "
Try Everything "Try Everything" is a song recorded by Colombian singer Shakira for the 2016 Walt Disney Animation Studios film ''Zootopia'', and written by Sia, Tor Hermansen, and Mikkel Eriksen. In the film, it is featured as a song recorded by a singer na ...
", which was written and composed by
Sia Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...
and Stargate. It opened to a record-breaking box office success in several countries and earned a worldwide gross of over $1 billion, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of 2016 and the 43rd highest-grossing film of all time. In December 2021, it was announced that Shakira would be an executive producer for ''Dancing with Myself'', an NBC dance competition series.


Philanthropy, humanitarian work and politics

In 1997, Shakira founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation, a Colombian charity with special schools for poor children all around Colombia. It was funded by Shakira and other international groups and individuals. The name of the foundation was taken from Shakira's third studio album, ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styl ...
'', which she released in 1995. The foundation's main focus is on aid through education, and the organization has five schools across Colombia that provide education and meals for 4,000 children. On 27 April 2014 Shakira was honored with the Hero Award at the
Radio Disney Music Awards The Radio Disney Music Awards (RDMA) were an annual awards show operated and governed by Radio Disney, an American radio network. Beginning in 2001, the show was originally broadcast only on Radio Disney, but later began being televised on Disne ...
for her Fundación Pies Descalzos work. In 2005, Shakira became a founding member of Latin America in Solidarity Action, a coalition of artists and business leaders seeking to promote integrated early childhood public policies. In 2008, she served as the Honorary Chair of the
Global Campaign for Education Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to: Entertainment * ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003 * ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007 * ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 1989 * ''Global'' (Todd Rundgren album), 2015 * Bruno ...
Global Action Week. Later, in 2010, she collaborated with the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
and the Barefoot Foundation to establish an initiative that distributes educational and developmental programs for children across Latin America. Shakira is a
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador is an official postnominal honorific title, title of authority, legal status and job description assigned to those goodwill ambassadors and advocates who are designated by the United Nations. The United Nations Intern ...
and is one of their global representatives. On 3 April 2006, Shakira was honored at a UN ceremony for creating the Pies Descalzos Foundation. In March 2010, she was awarded a medal by the UN
International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...
in recognition of being, as UN Labour Chief Juan Somavia put it, a "true ambassador for children and young people, for quality education and social justice". In November 2010, after performing as the opening act of the
MTV European Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
, the Colombian singer also received the MTV
Free Your Mind Free Your Mind may refer to: * ''Free Your Mind'' (Cut Copy album), 2013 * ''Free Your Mind'' (Maliq & D'Essentials album), 2007 * Free Your Mind (MTV award) Free Your Mind is an award granted by MTV during its shows in order to award actions or ...
award for her continuing dedication to improve access to education for all children around the world. In the Spanish edition of the magazine '' GQ'', Shakira directed a few words to Sarkozy, "We are all gypsies". In the interview she made her viewpoint very clear: "What is happening now to them (the gypsies) will happen to our children and our children's children. We must turn to our citizens to act for the fundamental rights of human beings and condemn all that seems to us indictable", she declared. In February 2011, the
FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Found ...
Foundation and ''Pies descalzos'' reached an agreement for children's education through sport. Shakira was honored at the
Latin Grammys The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been r ...
as the
Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year is an award presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend musicians of Ibero-American heritage for their "artistic ach ...
on 9 November 2011, for her philanthropy and contributions to Latin Music. Also in 2011, she was appointed by President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. The World Literacy Foundation announced Shakira as the recipient of the 2020 Global Literacy Award for "her significant contribution to the improvement of literacy for disadvantaged children around the world." On 2 November 2018, during a visit to her birthplace, Barranquilla, for the construction of a school through her Barefoot Foundation (Pies Descalzos Foundation), Shakira spoke about the educational policies of the government under Ivan Duque (President of Colombia, 2018–2022). Speaking against the government's intentions to reduce the national education budget from 13% to 7%, she said, "This is unacceptable. It shows that instead of progressing forward we are moving backward. We need to invest more in education and we need to build more schools in places where there are none". She also talked about social inequality and
unschooling Unschooling is an informal learning that advocates learner-chosen activities as a primary means for learning. Unschoolers learn through their natural life experiences including play, household responsibilities, personal interests and curiosit ...
. In 2020, Shakira was appointed by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge as a voters’ council member for the Earthshot prize which provides 50 environmental pioneers with the funds needed to further their work in tackling major problems impacting the environment. In May 2020, Shakira donated more than 50,000 face masks and ten respirators to combat the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
in her hometown of Barranquilla. During the 2021 Colombian protests, Shakira condemned the violence and asked President
Iván Duque Márquez Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...
to "immediately stop the human rights violations" and "restitute the value of human life above any political interest."


Personal life

Shakira began a relationship with Argentinian lawyer
Antonio de la Rúa Antonio de la Rúa Pertiné (born 7 March 1974) is an Argentine lawyer, and the son of former president Fernando de la Rúa (who governed Argentina from 1999 to 2001) and Inés Pertiné. He was an advisor to his father during his father's pres ...
in 2000. In a 2009 interview, Shakira stated their relationship already worked as a married couple, and that "they don't need papers for that". After 10 years together, Shakira and de la Rúa separated in August 2010 in what she described as "a mutual decision to take time apart from our romantic relationship". She wrote that the couple "view this period of separation as temporary", with de la Rúa overseeing Shakira's "business and career interests as he has always done". As first reported in September 2012, de la Rúa sued Shakira in April 2013, asking for $100 million he believed he was owed after Shakira suddenly terminated her business partnership with him in October 2011. His lawsuit was dismissed by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge in August 2013. Shakira entered a relationship with the Spanish football player
Gerard Piqué Gerard Piqué Bernabeu (, ; born 2 February 1987) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is considered one of the best defenders of his generation. Initially a highly promising student at La Masia, Piqué ...
in 2011. Piqué, who is exactly ten years her junior, and Shakira met in spring 2010 after he appeared in the music video for Shakira's song "
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", also known as "Waka Waka (Esto es África)" in Spanish, is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring the South African band Freshlyground. Written, composed, and produced by Shakira and John Hill, it was ...
", the official song of the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
. Shakira gave birth to the couple's first son, Milan, on 22 January 2013 in
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, where the family took residence. Shakira gave birth to their second son, Sasha, on 29 January 2015. ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' listed Shakira and Piqué in their list of "World's Most Powerful Couples". In 2022, the couple confirmed in a joint statement they would be separating after being together for 11 years. In 2020, Shakira announced her completion of an
ancient philosophy This page lists some links to ancient philosophy, namely philosophical thought extending as far as early post-classical history (). Overview Genuine philosophical thought, depending upon original individual insights, arose in many culture ...
course through the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
, describing it as an impractical hobby of hers.


Financial controversy

In November 2017, Shakira was named in the
Paradise Papers The Paradise Papers are a set of over 13.4 million confidential electronic documents relating to offshore investments that were leaked to the German reporters Frederik Obermaier and Bastian Obermayer, from the newspaper'' Süddeutsch ...
. It was revealed that she was the sole shareholder of a Malta-based company which was being used to transfer $30 million in music rights. Her attorneys insisted that her use of the company was entirely legal. In 2018, due at least in part to information revealed in the Paradise Papers, Spanish authorities began an investigation into Shakira's finances. Prosecutors argued that she did not pay taxes in Spain between 2012 and 2014, during which time she was living in Spain with Piqué and their family, while Shakira argued that she maintained her
primary residence A person's primary residence, or main residence is the dwelling where they usually live, typically a house or an apartment. A person can only have one ''primary'' residence at any given time, though they may share the residence with other people. A ...
in the Bahamas during that period and otherwise was touring internationally. In July 2021, a Spanish judge ruled that there was "evidence of criminality" sufficient for Shakira to be brought to trial on charges of
tax fraud Tax evasion is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the taxp ...
. In 2021, the
Pandora Papers The Pandora Papers are 11.9 million leaked documents with 2.9 terabytes of data that the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) published beginning on 3 October 2021. The leak exposed the secret offshore accounts of 3 ...
showed that Shakira submitted applications for three offshore companies in 2019. Her representatives told
LaSexta La Sexta (; "The Sixth"; stylized as laSexta) is a Spanish free-to-air television channel. It is privately owned and was originally founded on 18 March 2001 as Beca TV that began broadcasting on 1 April 2001, that same year. By 21 July 2003, the ...
that this paperwork was not filed for purposes of establishing new companies but as part of the process of dissolving existing companies. They further claimed that the companies had no income or activities and that Spanish authorities had been made aware of their existence. In July 2022, after not reaching a deal with the Spanish Prosecution Ministry, the singer decided to go to trial to prove her innocence. The prosecutor asked the judge for an eight-year prison sentence over six alleged tax fraud crimes. On 27 September 2022, a Spanish judge from
Esplugues de Llobregat Esplugues de Llobregat () is a municipality of the Barcelona metropolitan area. Formerly in the ''Barcelonès'', since 1990 it has been part of the comarca of Baix Llobregat. During recent decades Esplugues has evolved from a predominantly indus ...
approved the tax fraud trial after prosecutors accused her of failing to pay 14.5 million euros ($13.9 million) in taxes. Shakira claims she has already paid all she owed plus 3 million euros ($2.8 million) as interest.


Discography

* '' Magia'' (1991) * '' Peligro'' (1993) * ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styl ...
'' (1995) * ''
Dónde Están los Ladrones? ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' ( en, Where Are the Thieves?, italic=yes) is the fourth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 29 September 1998 by Columbia Records and Sony Music Latin. After attaining success in La ...
'' (1998) * ''
Laundry Service ''Laundry Service'' ( es, Servicio de Lavandería) is the fifth studio album and first English-language album by Colombian singer Shakira, globally released on 13 November 2001 by Epic Records. It is her first album to be primarily recorded in E ...
'' (2001) * '' Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' (2005) * ''
Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 ''Oral Fixation, Vol. 2'' (Spanish: ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 2'') is the seventh studio album and second English-language album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 28 November 2005, by Epic Records. After attaining international ...
'' (2005) * ''
She Wolf ''She Wolf'' ( es, Loba, link=no) is the eighth studio album and third English-language album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. It was released on 9 October 2009, by Epic Records and Sony Music Latin. As executive producers, Shakira and Am ...
'' (2009) * ''
Sale el Sol ''Sale el Sol'' ( en, The Sun Comes Out, italic=yes) is the ninth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 19 October 2010, by Epic Records. The album marks a return to Shakira's signature Latin pop sound after the e ...
'' (2010) * ''
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is n ...
'' (2014) * '' El Dorado'' (2017)


Tours

* Pies Descalzos International Tour (1996–1997) *
Tour Anfibio Tour Anfibio ( es, Amphibious Tour, links=no) is second concert tour by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira support of her fourth studio album ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' (2000). that started on March 21, 2000, in Lima, and ended on Ma ...
(2000) *
Tour of the Mongoose Tour of the Mongoose (also known as El Tour de la Mangosta in hispanophone countries) is the third concert tour by Colombian singer and songwriter, Shakira, in support of her fifth studio album and first English album, ''Laundry Service'' (2001) ...
(2002–2003) *
Oral Fixation Tour Oral Fixation Tour (known as Tour Fijación Oral in hispanophone countries) was the fourth concert tour by Colombian singer and songwriter, Shakira. It was launched in support of her sixth and seventh studio albums ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' (200 ...
(2006–2007) *
The Sun Comes Out World Tour The Sun Comes Out World Tour (also known as the Sale el Sol World Tour) was the fifth concert tour by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, launched in support of her eighth and ninth studio albums, ''She Wolf'' (2009) and '' Sale El Sol'' ( ...
(2010–2011) *
El Dorado World Tour The El Dorado World Tour was the sixth world tour by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, in support of her diamond certified eleventh studio album, ''El Dorado (Shakira album), El Dorado''. Comprising a total of 54 shows, the tour visited E ...
(2018)


Filmography


Television


Film


See also

*
List of artists who reached number one in the United States This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on '' Billboard'' magazine's weekly singles chart(s). This list spans from the issue dated January 1, 1955 to the present. Prior to the creation of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, ''Bil ...
*
List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on ''Billboard magazine's'' Dance Club Songs chart. ''Billboard'' began ranking dance music on the week ending October 26, 1974, and this is the standard music popularity chart in th ...
* Best-selling international artists in Brazil *
List of best-selling music artists in the United States This is the list of the highest-certified music artists in the United States based on certifications of albums and digital singles (but not physical singles) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). RIAA certifications are based ...
* List of best-selling music artists *
List of best-selling singles This is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion is to sell at least ten million copies worldwide. The singles listed here were cited by reliable sources from various media, such as digital journalism, new ...
*
List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists The ''Billboard'' Social 50 is a popularity chart which ranks the most active musical artists on the world's leading social networking services. Its data, published by '' Billboard'' magazine and compiled by Next Big Sound, is based collective ...
*
List of highest-certified music artists in the United States This is the list of the highest-certified music artists in the United States based on certifications of albums and digital singles (but not physical singles) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). RIAA certifications are base ...
* Best-selling female artists of all time


Notes


References


Further reading

* VH1 Driven: Shakir
(article)
* VH1 Driven: Shakira (video) ** * Book: ''Woman Full of Grace'' by Ximena Diego ** * Pareles, Jon (14 November 2005). "Shakira, from lip to hip". '' New Straits Times'', p. L3. * "Shakira pertahan orang Arab". (8 November 2005). ''
Berita Harian ''BH'' (renamed on 2 July 2012; formerly known as ''Berita Harian'') is a Malay-language daily newspaper published in Malaysia owned by the New Straits Times Press. It was first published on 1 July 1957 as the first mainstream newspaper in M ...
'', p. 13. * Frank Cogan's review of ''
Laundry Service ''Laundry Service'' ( es, Servicio de Lavandería) is the fifth studio album and first English-language album by Colombian singer Shakira, globally released on 13 November 2001 by Epic Records. It is her first album to be primarily recorded in E ...
'' for ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
'' ** * Chart Performance for "
Don't Bother "Don't Bother" is a song performed by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, taken from her seventh studio album and second English-language album, ''Oral Fixation, Vol. 2''. The song was released on 11 October 2005, by Epic Records as the lead ...
" from the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 * Chart Performance for '' Oral Fixation 2'' **
''New York Times Magazine'' article on Shakira's philanthropic work on education.


External links

* * * * {{Authority control 1977 births Living people 20th-century Colombian women singers 21st-century Colombian actresses 21st-century Colombian women singers Association footballers' wives and girlfriends Belly dancers Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Colombian female dancers Colombian film actresses Colombian people of Italian descent Colombian people of Lebanese descent Colombian people of Spanish descent Colombian people of Catalan descent Colombian philanthropists Colombian pop singers Colombian record producers Colombian rock singers Colombian Roman Catholics Colombian singer-songwriters Colombian television actresses Colombian voice actresses Colombian women activists Colombian women artists Colombian women record producers Colombian expatriates in Spain Contraltos Echo (music award) winners English-language singers from Colombia Grammy Award winners Latin Grammy Award winners Latin music songwriters Latin pop singers Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year honorees MTV Europe Music Award winners Judges in American reality television series People from Barranquilla RCA Records artists Roc Nation artists Sony Music Colombia artists Sony Music Latin artists UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors Women in Latin music World Music Awards winners People named in the Paradise Papers People named in the Pandora Papers