How Old Is Shakira? Everything To Know About

In Shorts:

• Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, on February 2, 1977, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll has shaped the music business. With hits like “Pies Descalzos” and “Laundry Service,” she’s the Latin Music Queen.
• Shakira’s combination of Latin, Arabic, and rock genres, demonstrated in tracks like “Whenever, Wherever,” has made her one of the best-selling musicians with over 80 million albums.
• She received the World Economic Forum Crystal Award and Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year for her work educating and rehabilitating poor youngsters.
• When she was 13, Shakira recorded her first album, “Magia.” Her 1995 breakout “Pies Descalzos” and 1998 Grammy-nominated “Dónde Están los Ladrones?” followed early disappointments.
• Her English crossover album “Laundry Service” (2001) became the best-selling record in 2002, launching her international career.

Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was reared in Barranquilla. Her flexibility in the music industry has made her the Queen of Latin Music with a global fanbase. Shakira was born February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia. The sole child of her parents. Her father gave her a typewriter at age seven, igniting her passion for poetry. Her vibrato got bullied, but she kept writing, singing, and belly dancing. After impressing Sony’s Colombia executive with her audition, she signed for three albums. Read the article to learn how old Shakira is and more.

Shakira Profile Details

A Journey Through the Life and Career of a Global Music Icon

Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (born February 2, 1977) has made a name for herself in the music industry. She rose to Latin music popularity with Pies Descalzos (1995) and Dónde Están los Ladrones (1998), and her fifth album, Laundry Service (2001), gained international fame. Shakira is the Queen of Latin songs for her Latin, Arabic, and rock songs. Her smash tunes, Whenever, Wherever, and Underneath Your Clothes displayed her unique flair and made her a global crossover artist. Over 80 million recordings have been sold, making her one of the best-selling musicians ever.

Shakira has made humanitarian efforts in addition to her music career. As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, she has diligently promoted education and health for poor children worldwide. Her philanthropy has earned her the World Economic Forum Crystal Award and Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year. Shakira’s brilliance, personality, and passion for improving the world have garnered her three Grammy Awards, twelve Latin Grammy Awards, and four MTV Video Music Awards. She continues to inspire and impact the music business and beyond, establishing a legacy.

A Journey Through Early Life and Education

Shakira was born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia, a bustling seaside city full of music and happiness. Her parents were William Mebarak Chadid, a Lebanese man from New York City, and Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado, a Catalan woman who had relocated to Colombia in the 1800s. Besides being Catholic and attending Catholic schools, she claims Italian ancestry, adding to her broad cultural history. She has eight elder half-siblings and a vast family.

Patricia, Lucy, and Ana Mebarak are Shakira’s sisters, and Antonio, Tonino, Alberto, Moises, Edward, and Robin are her brothers. Inspired by her father’s stories, she composed her first poem at four and requested a typewriter for Christmas.

At two years old, Shakira saw her elder half-brother die in a motorbike accident. She eventually used this early loss and suffering to inspire her paintings. At eight, she penned her first song, Tus gafas oscuras, for her father, grieving his son. Child Shakira was naturally curious. In four, she was captivated by the doumbek, a percussion instrument she had heard in a Middle Eastern restaurant and wanted to perform. Due to her hyperactivity and high vibrato, she was regularly kicked out of class and unable to join the chorus.

Despite these obstacles, Shakira’s passion for music and writing grew, and by age seven, she acquired a typewriter to create poems and songs. Her early love of creativity would lead her to become one of the world’s most successful artists and composers, with over 30 years of experience, many Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, and millions of admirers.

A Glimpse into Her Personal Life

Fans have been on edge for Shakira’s turbulent love life, which is full of twists and turns. Early in the new millennium, the Hips Don’t Lie singer dated Argentinean lawyer Antonio de la Rúa. For ten years, despite never having been married, they referred to each other as husband and wife. To obtain inspiration and clarity, Shakira and Antonio de la Rúa took a break from their partnership in 2010.  But their split lasted longer than anticipated, and in 2013, Antonio de la Rúa filed a $100 million lawsuit against Shakira. After a protracted legal battle, the matter was resolved when a judge dismissed Shakira’s claim.

Shakira quickly fell in love with the gorgeous Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué again. They got together while filming the music video for her official FIFA World Cup 2010 song, Waka (This Time for Africa). 2013 saw Milan Piqué Mebarak, the result of Gerard Piqué and Shakira’s unbreakable relationship. Their second son, Sasha Piqué Mebarak, was born two years later. Because of their stature and influence, Forbes named the couple one of the Most Powerful Couples in the World. Shakira and Gerard Piqué announced their separation in 2022, following eleven years together.

A Journey Through Her Phenomenal Career

Shakira recorded Magia, her Sony Music Colombia debut, at 13. She wrote pop-rock ballads, uptempo disco tunes, and electronic accompaniment for this album since she was eight. Magia sold barely 1,200 copies globally despite positive reviews on Colombian radio. However, Sony Music saw her promise and invited her to play at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile in February 1993. In 1995, Sony Music and Columbia Records gave Shakira another chance to make her third studio album, Pies Descalzos, following the success of her single ¿Dónde Estás Corazón? The album was her worldwide debut and reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums list. Shakira’s first two studio albums were commercial failures because she didn’t promote them, and following Peligro’s release in March, she took a vacation to finish high school. Official albums did not include Nuestro Rock and other promotional album singles.

Six U.S. Latin charting songs followed Pies Descalzos’ RIAA platinum certification in August 1996. The same year, she won three Billboard Latin Music Awards and toured 20 countries. The album sold over 5 million copies worldwide and spawned The Remixes, which contained Portuguese versions of her songs. Dónde Están los Ladrones?, Shakira’s 1998 follow-up, sold over 7 million copies worldwide and was nominated for a Grammy. Her debut live album, MTV Unplugged, was well-received the following year.

She achieved popularity in 2000, playing Ojos Así at the Latin Grammy Awards, earning an MTV Video Music Award, and attending the two-month Tour Anfibio. She recorded an English crossover album and worked with Gloria Estefan for a year to enhance her English to expand her audience. Suerte (Whenever, Wherever), the album’s first track, was released in 2001 and became an international smash owing to its distinctive combination of Andean music and instruments like the charango and panpipes.

On November 13, 2001, Shakira released her fifth studio album, Laundry Service (Servicio De Lavanderia in Latin America and Spain). It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and sold over 200,000 copies in its first week. The RIAA certified the album triple platinum, launching her career in mainstream North America. Despite critics’ criticism of Shakira’s English and formulaic lyrics, Laundry Service was 2002’s best-selling and most successful album, selling over 13 million copies worldwide.

Discography

Filmography

Exploring the Colombian Singer’s Wealth in 2024

Shakira may be worth $350 million. Her singing career, business interests, and endorsements have made her rich.  Millions of her albums have sold globally. Television appearances have also earned Shakira money.

FAQs

Please describe Shakira’s family and childhood.

William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado had Shakira in Barranquilla, Colombia. Her huge family of eight half-siblings fostered her love of poetry and music.

Which Shakira albums sell best?

Over 13 million copies of Shakira’s fifth studio album, “Laundry Service” (2001), have sold worldwide. Other significant albums include “Pies Descalzos” (1995) and “Dónde Están los Ladrones” (1998).

How did Shakira’s childhood affect her music?

Her childhood, especially the death of her half-brother, influenced her creativity. She penned her first song at eight and loved music and writing despite hyperactivity and a loud vibrato.

Shakira became UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador when?

Shakira became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, promoting education and health for poor children. She received the World Economic Forum Crystal Award and Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year for her philanthropy.