Name: Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll
Born: Born on February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Nationality: Columbia
Eyes: Brown's
Hair: Light Brown
Discovered: Shakira released her first album, Magia (Magic) and a second album, Peligro (Danger) on the Sony label, neither of which were very successful. Switching to acting Shakira played a role in a Colombian telenovela ("El Oasis") but failed as an actress. Returning to the music business in 1995, her third album Pies Descalzos (Barefeet) was the hit she was looking for. The single from that album, "Estoy Aqu???" was a worldwide chart topper.
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Resume: With some success behind her, Shakira met Emilio Estefan Jr., who would become the executive producer of her next album. D????nde Est????n Los Ladrones? (Where are the thieves?) gained wide critical acclaim, and propelled her career even further.
To conquer the U.S. market Shakira would have to enter the English-speaking market, improving her English enough to begin writing Laundry Service. With a rock-edged feel, Laundry Service was aimed at the international English-speaking market, even though it contained some Spanish songs. Despite some criticism of her English skills Laundry Service was an international favorite, based on the smash-hit single "Whenever, Wherever".
Shakira has also released a greatest hits volume Grandes ???xitos, Shakira: Live & Off the Record, a DVD, and a 10-song CD from her 2002-03 world tour. She recently produced two albums, Fijaci????n Oral 1, a Spanish-language album released on June 3 2005, and Oral Fixation 2, an English-language album, scheduled to hit store shelves in November.
Is the youngest of eight siblings. Shakira is Arabic for "grateful or full of grace." Is of Colombian and Lebanese heritage. Named her album "Laundry Service" because when she is in love she feels "clean and fresh". Has an IQ of 140! Fluent in Portuguese, Italian, and English, in addition to Spanish and Arabic. Hates to wear jewelry. Her Lebanese grandmother taught her the art of Arabian Belly Dancing so she can stay true to her middle eastern roots. Ranked #9 in Stuff magazine's 2002 "102 Sexiest Women in the World". She likes chocolate *. Father's name is William Mebarak Chadid and mother's name is Nidia del Carmen Ripolli Torrado. Her mother is half Colombian and half Italian and her father is American with Lebanese ancestry.
Romance: Since 2000, she has been engaged to Antonio de la R????a, the son of the former President of Argentina.
Know for: Her belly dancing moves and athletic figure.
Quotes: "The worst mistake of a woman is to go to the kitchen, because then she never gets out of there." - Shakira
"I can't hire other people to write songs for me. I have to write them myself." - Shakira
"I admire a person who, for the love of art, is able to take off their clothes in front of a camera. But I'm not capable, I'm too cowardly for that". - Shakira
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