Shakira

Background information
Birth name : Isabel Mebarak Ripoll
Also known as : Shaki, Shak
Born : February 2, 1977 (1977-02-02) (age 31) Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
Genre(s) : Latin pop, rock
Occupation(s) : Singer-songwriter, record producer
Instrument(s) : Vocals, guitar, harmonica, drums
Years active : 1990 – present
Label(s) : Sony BMG, Epic, Live Nation
Associated acts : Alejandro Sanz, Beyoncé, Gustavo Cerati, Wyclef Jean, Carlos Santana, Miguel Bosé
Website : www.shakira.com

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (born: February 2, 1977) known simply as Shakira, (pronounced /ʃəˈkiːrə/ in English, /tʃa'kira/ in Spanish ) is a Colombian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer and philanthropist who has been a major figure in the pop music scene of Latin America since the mid-1990s. She is a native Spanish speaker and also speaks fluent English, Portuguese, Italian, and some Arabic. In 2001, she broke through onto the English-speaking world with the release of Laundry Service, which sold over thirteen million copies worldwide. Shakira is the highest-selling Colombian artist of all time, having sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, according to BMI. She has also won numerous awards worldwide, including two Grammy Awards, eight Latin Grammy Awards, fifteen Billboard Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, a People's Choice Award and receiving a Golden Globe nomination. She is also the only artist from South America to reach the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, the Australian ARIA chart, and the UK Singles Chart.
Shakira will be awarded with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, making her the first Colombian to receive this honor.
Personal life
In 2000, Shakira started dating Antonio de la Rúa, the son of then president of Argentina Fernando de la Rúa, a romance that made headline news throughout Latin America. In March 2001, he proposed to her. De la Rúa and Shakira remain engaged. She currently lives in The Bahamas. Shakira's future mother-in-law Inés Pertiné claimed the wedding would take place in September 2007 in the mansion which Shakira owns in the Dominican Republic (though this didn't happen). She also said that Shakira has already ordered Argentine designer María Pryor to design her wedding dress, All this was denied by Shakira herself in Mexico.
In June 2007, Latin American media speculated that the couple had finally split up and that Shakira was involved romantically with Army Specialist Erik Pepen since both were seen in a Los Angeles disco. This rumor was immediately denied by Shakira's assistants, stating that she was invited by Penélope Cruz, who later introduced Erik Pepen to Shakira. On the previous days, Shakira and Antonio were seen in a restaurant in New York City, facing and denying the rumors one more time.
Shakira is intensely interested in world history. She frequently studies the history and languages of the countries she visits. After her Oral Fixation tour ended in summer 2007, Shakira audited a class in Los Angeles at UCLA, on the History of Western Civilization. She used her middle and last names, Isabel Mebarak, and told the professor she was visiting from Colombia so as to avoid being recognized as a celebrity.
Shakira is a cousin of model and 2005-2006 Miss Colombia, Valerie Dominguez, who is likewise of Lebanese descent
Discography
Studio albums
1995: Pies Descalzos
1998: Dónde Están Los Ladrones?
2001: Laundry Service
2005: Fijación Oral Vol. 1
2005: Oral Fixation Vol. 2
· 2009: Upcoming Studio Album
Live albums
2000: MTV Unplugged
2004: Live n Off the Record
2007: Oral Fixation Tour
Compilation albums
1997: The Remixes
2002: Grandes Éxitos
2002: Colección de Oro
2006: Oral Fixation Volumes 1, 2
Soundtracks
2007: Love in the Time of Cholera (EP)
source : en.wikipedia.org