Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll

Woman of Interest

Shakira
Pop Sing, Dancer, Songwriter, Philanthropist

Born in 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll. ‘Shakira‘ means grateful in Arabic.  Shakira speaks four languages: Spanish, Portuguese, English and Italian and recently graduated with a degree in ancient philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. She took classes during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

Shakira signed her first record deal at 13 and has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide. Her signature sound is a blend of Latin, rock, and Arabic musical styles. Wikipedia reports that “she has won 324 awards from 711 nominations including 3 Grammy Awards and 12 Latin Grammy Awards, making her the most awarded Latin artist of all time.” In addition, she has 28 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Besides winning numerous awards for albums and videos, Shakira has created a beauty line and a charitable foundation, Pies Descalzos, to help children in her native Colombia receive a quality education. She is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. United Nations’ International Labor Organization has honored her for her philanthropic efforts. Shakira’s humanitarian and advocacy work is focused on education and early childhood development. It has a three-part strategy that is dedicated to the development of advocacy in Colombia, Latin America, and the World.

Shakira has 2 sons with Spanish football player Gerard Piqué who is ten years her junior. Shakira gave birth to the couple’s first son Milan on 22 January 2013 in Barcelona, Spain. Their second son Sasha was born on 29 January 2015. Forbes listed Shakira and Gerard in their list of “World’s Most Powerful Couples.”