Shakira

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, known mononymously as Shakira, is a Colombian singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, actress, and philanthropist.

Born and raised in Barranquilla, she made her recording debut under Sony Music Colombia at the age of 13. Following the commercial failure of her first two Colombian albums, Magia (1991) and Peligro (1993), she rose to prominence in Spanish-speaking countries with her next albums, Pies Descalzos (1995) and Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998). Shakira entered the English-language market with her fifth album, Laundry Service (2001). It sold over 13 million copies, spawned the international #1 singles "Whenever, Wherever" and "Underneath Your Clothes," and propelled her reputation as a leading crossover artist.

Her success was further solidified with the Spanish albums Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005), Sale el Sol (2010), and El Dorado (2017), all of which topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and were certified diamante by the Recording Industry Association of America. Meanwhile, her English albums Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), She Wolf (2009) and Shakira (2014) were all certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum in various countries worldwide. Some of her songs have charted at #1 in multiple countries, including "La Tortura," "Hips Don't Lie," "Beautiful Liar," "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)," "Loca," and "Chantaje." From 2013 to 2014, Shakira served as a coach on two seasons of the American singing competition television series "The Voice."

Shakira has won numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards. In 2009, Billboard listed her as the Top Female Latin Artist of the Decade, and she is the most-streamed Latin artist on Spotify. In 2020, Shakira co-headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show with Jennifer Lopez.

In addition to her chart-topping career, Shakira is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. When Shakira was just 18 years old, she founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation, a charity with six state-of-the-art schools supporting displaced and underprivileged children in Colombia. She is also the co-founder of ALAS which has built over 35 early childhood development centers in Colombia, Argentina, and Mexico. Shakira previously served as one of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals Advocates.