Shakira: Latin Pop's Global Ambassador
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia. She began writing songs at age 10 and released her debut album, Magia, in 1991. Her breakthrough came with Pies Descalzos (1995), which established her as a rising Latin pop star. Three decades later, she is one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time — and the artist who carried Spanish-language pop to every corner of the world.
The Crossover: Laundry Service
After the acclaimed Spanish-language album ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998), Shakira entered the global English-speaking market with Laundry Service (2001), featuring the hit "Whenever, Wherever." She won her first Grammy Award for MTV Unplugged (Best Latin Pop Album) and became a household name far beyond Latin America.
Hips Don't Lie and Waka Waka
"Hips Don't Lie" (2006) with Wyclef Jean reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the best-selling singles of all time. In 2010, she performed "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)," the official song of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa — a global anthem that topped charts in many countries. In 2020, she co-headlined the Super Bowl LIV halftime show with Jennifer Lopez.
The Second Act
El Dorado (2017) won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album. In 2023, her "Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53" with Bizarrap broke streaming records for a Latin-language track. Her album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (2024) won Best Latin Pop Album, bringing her Grammy total to four. She has also won 15 Latin Grammy Awards — the second-most by any female artist.
Shakira has also served as a coach on the American television show The Voice, mentoring young singers, and voiced the character Gazelle in the animated film Zootopia (2016). Her music is known for blending Latin, Arabic, rock, and reggaeton influences, and she has written or co-written nearly all of her own material. Her reputation as one of the genre's most ambitiously poetic lyricists has made her a role model for songwriters across Latin America and beyond.
Legacy
Shakira blended Latin, Arabic, rock, and reggaeton into a sound that was unmistakably hers. She also founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation, providing education and nutrition to underprivileged children in Colombia. Few artists have carried a language — and a culture — as far as she has.
Ready to release your music?
Distribute to 200+ platforms worldwide with The Imaginary Records.
Apply →