Shakira

On February 2, 1977, a daughter, Shakira Isabel Mebarac Rippoli, or simply Shakira, was born to the family of a jewelry store owner in the city of Barranquilla. She was the youngest child in the family.

The girl developed very quickly - early began to read and write, was fond of literature and painting, danced a lot, loved music. In general, all this poured out in the fact that by the age of 15, she had already recorded her first album. True, it failed, as did the second. The girl had one last chance - as a contract with Sony Discos was signed for three years. The record Pies Descalzos, Suenos Blancos became a breakthrough - Shakira conquered both North and South America, and soon she went on tour in these two continents.

In 1998 she released her next album Donde Estan Los Ladrones, which became even more popular than the previous one. But she achieved the world recognition a couple of years later when she released her first English-language album Laundry Service. I'm sure that almost everyone still remembers the uncomplicated and incendiary tune Whenever, Wherever and the belly dance that accompanied it in the video. The tour in support of the album was also mega-popular.

And yet with the next album Fijación Oral Vol. 1 Shakira went back to the roots - it was in Spanish again, and the music video was mainly broadcasted in Spanish-speaking countries. But it was, as they say, not yet evening. In 2005 the sales of the English-language Oral Fixation Vol. 2, and soon the birthday girl went on another world tour.

A little later the beautiful blond Colombian woke up a passion for experiments - really, after so many years on stage it was time to take up something new. So, in 2007, she decided on the most successful collaboration - a duet with Beyonce Beautiful Liar. The song was a hit, and so was the video. It won an MTV VMA award.

For quite a long time, Shakira was engaged in gigs with other artists, charity... So the fans had to wait for the new album till 2009. But the best album "She Wolf" was released. Its title song Loba, like others, was in the singer's signature style, but she obviously "added" something new to her music - particularly Indian motifs (as she told us), but also something more modern, electronic.The audience was satisfied.

The next disc didn't take long - the album Sale El Sol was ready by October 2010. And the first single was appreciated by listeners a few months before that. The song Waka, Waka, recorded together with Freshlyground was created especially for the World Cup and became its informal anthem.

Apart from her music career, Shakira also has something to do with cinema - for example, she recorded two songs for the soundtrack of the film Love in the Time of Cholera with Javier Bardem.

Shakira's performance at the screening of "Love in the Time of Cholera" in Las Vegas

Shakira is also a well-known philanthropist. She established the Fundacion Pies Descalzos. She helps schools for underprivileged children. Besides, she is a Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF. And in 2010 the UN Employment Agency awarded Shakira for helping Latin American children.

In general, Shakira is a positive character from all sides. And throughout her career she has never once been involved in any dirty stories - and the tabloid press has not particularly judged her. She was in a relationship with Antonio de la Rua for 11 years, with whom Shakira ended her relationship (as it turned out forever) in 2010. Shakira stated a few months after the breakup that she and Antonio remained friends and business partners.

Shakira and Antonio

Now the singer is openly dating Gerard Pique, the footballer plays for the club Barcelona as a defender. Rumors of a possible romance between Pique and Shakira Isabel Mebarac Ripol, who is 10 years older than the footballer, appeared after the singer broke up with Antonio de la Rua, the son of the former president of Argentina. Eyewitnesses have noticed that the breakup itself occurred a month after Shakira and Pique were seen together in South Africa, where the World Cup was held. There, Pique as part of the Spanish national team won gold at the tournament, and Shakira performed the song "Waka-Waka" - the anthem of the competition.

The lovers spend their free time together, which makes them regularly caught in the lenses of the ubiquitous paparazzi. Not long ago, there was a rumor that the couple broke up, but it was refuted just a few hours later.