Born in Columbia, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, better known just as Shakira, is a Lebanese-Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, and record producer. She began performing in school, demonstrating Latin American, Arabic, and rock and roll influences and belly dancing abilities. She rose to prominence in Latin America with her major-label debut, Pies Descalzos, and her fourth album, Dónde Están los Ladrones?. Shakira entered the English-language market with her fifth album, Laundry Service. Its lead single, “Whenever, Wherever”, became one of the most successful singles of 2002. Her official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”, became the biggest-selling World Cup song of all time. Shakira has won many awards, including five MTV Video Music Awards, two Grammy Awards, eight Latin Grammy Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, 28 Billboard Latin Music Awards and has been Golden Globe-nominated. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and has sold 125 million records worldwide making her the best-selling South American singer and one of the best-selling Latin artists of all time.
