Shakira: 1977—: Singer, Songwriter

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Shakira: 1977—: Singer, songwriter

By the time Shakira released her first English language album, 2001's Laundry Service, she had long been an international star in the Spanish speaking world. With four records—the first recorded when she was just thirteen—the petite Colombian singer-songwriter was already established as an authentic rockera with a unique sound that hinged on a fusion of her Latin American and Middle Eastern roots and a childhood obsession with rock music. She had done this in culture where machismo ruled. "In Latin cultures historically, though not always, females are interpreters,"Jose Tillan, vice president of music and talent at MTV Latin America, told Time. "For the most part, they don't make records. Shakira isn't like that. From the very beginning she has been involved with the songs and the recording." Could she maintain her success and individuality with a new record, in a new language? The numbers seem to say yes. Laundry Service sold 200,000 copies in its debut week. Suddenly a phenomenon in the United States, everybody wanted to know, who is Shakira? She answered the question in an radio interview quoted in the Los Angeles Times, "I think my music says it all."

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977 in the small town of Barranquilla on the coast of Columbia. Her father, William Mebarak Chadid was Lebanese and her mother, Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado was Columbian with Italian roots. They worked as jewelers and provided Shakira and her seven older brothers and sisters with a decidedly middle class upbringing. Her father, who was also a writer, freely shared his love of Arabic music and culture with his children. In fact Shakira is an Arabic word meaning "woman full of grace." At age four Shakira was already belly dancing much to the delight of her father. Her mother, with a penchant for the practical, taught Shakira to read and write by the age of three. From her parents, whom she proudly proclaims as her heroes, Shakira inherited the trait that would propel her to stardom—the creativity and intelligence to weave her cultures into music for the masses.

Found Fame at an Early Age

She wrote her first song—a love song to her father—while in grade school. As a pre-teen she was winning local singing contests and performing in children's groups. Show business suited her. "I knew that I was going to be a public figure," she told The Wall Street Journal. "It was like a prophecy." At thirteen a family friend arranged an impromptu audition with an executive from Sony Music Columbia. "I went to his hotel and sang a song—which I had written—a cappella for him," she told CosmoGirl. "A few days later I sang Madonna's 'Material Girl' in Spanish for more executives in Bogota. The next day I was signed by Sony." Shortly thereafter Shakira's debut album, Magia (Magic) was released in Columbia. She left music briefly to finish high school and then returned to release Peligro (Danger) at age 15. Both albums smacked of teen pop and neither generated much in the way of sales.

At a Glance . . .

Born on February 2, 1977, Barranquilla, Columbia; daughter of William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado. Religion: Catholic.

Career: Musician. Recorded Magia, 1991, Peligro, 1993, Pies Descalzos, 1996, Dondé Están Los Ladrones?, 1998, Laundry Service, 2001; spokesperson for Pepsi-Cola; Goodwill Ambassador for Colombia.

Memberships: Founded Pies Descalzos, an organization dedicated to helping Latin American orphans, 1997.

Awards: Latin Female Artist of the Year, World Music Awards, 1998; two Latin Grammy Awards, 2000.

Addresses: Home— Miami, FL; Record Company— Sony Discos Inc., 2190 N.W. 89 Place, Miami, FL 33172.

After a brief foray into acting on a Colombian soap opera, Shakira returned to music determined to make her next album a success. Just 17, she began to work on her third album. She wanted the album to reflect her voice and her vision. A self professed control freak, she went into the studio and insisted on being involved in the record's production. Her determination paid off. Released in 1996 Pies Descalzos (Bare Feet) sold over 3.6 million copies. During a two year tour in support of the album Shakira became one of Latin America's brightest stars.

In Brazil, where Pies had sold nearly a million copies, Shakira was moved to find her Portuguese-speaking fans singing her songs in Spanish. She promptly learned Portuguese and re-released many of her most popular songs in her new language as a gift for her Brazilian fans. On the album Shakira's unique sound—a fusion of rock, Latin, and Arabic rhythms—surfaced. "I was born and raised in Colombia, but I listened to bands like Led Zeppelin, the Cure, the Police, the Beatles and Nirvana," she was quoted on www.shakira.com. "I was so in love with that rock sound but at the same time because my father is of 100% Lebanese descent, I am devoted to Arabic tastes and sounds. Somehow I'm a fusion of all of those passions and my music is a fusion of elements that I can make coexist in the same place, in one song."

Her fame scorched through the Spanish-speaking world. She even gained the admiration of Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez who devoted four pages to her in his magazine, Hombre de Cambio. "Shakira's music has a personal stamp that doesn't look like anyone else's and no one can sing or dance like her, at whatever age, with such an innocent sensuality, one that seems to be of her own invention," he gushed.

Achieved International Superstardom

1998's Donde Están Los Ladrones? (Where are the Thieves?) went multi-platinum throughout Latin America, Spain, and the United States where the Hispanic-market embraced Shakira as the new face of the Latin music invasion. The album reached the number one spot on Billboard's Latin 50, scored a Grammy nomination, and helped secure Shakira the title of Latin Female Artist of the Year at the 1998 World Music Awards. At the 2000 Latin Grammy Awards, two songs from the album won awards. However, it was her sizzling performance at the Latin Grammy's that mesmerized U.S. audiences. With her rock-hewn vocals, hip swirling moves, and indomitable Latin sex appeal Shakira seduced the American music scene. The fact that her sultry looks were as magnifi-cent as her musical talent didn't hurt either. Shakira had become a bona fide international superstar. Shakira was suddenly everywhere. Her face appeared on the cover of countless magazines. She was signed to a lucrative Pepsi endorsement deal. MTV came calling and in 1999 she released an album recorded on "MTV Unplugged," the music channel's acoustic artist showcase. Colombia named her their Goodwill Ambassador. Even the pope took notice and granted Shakira an audience at the Vatican. At the same time she managed to provide support for Pies Descalzos a children's charity she had founded in 1997 to help Latin American orphans. And, much to the delight of the omnipresent Spanish-language tabloids, her high profile life didn't prevent her from finding true love with Antonio de la Rúa, the handsome son of then Argentinean president, Fernando de la Rúa.

With superstar status throughout the Spanish-speaking world, multi-platinum albums, a famous well-heeled boyfriend, and immense financial success, it seemed as if Shakira had it all. Yet, there was still something missing—cross-over success. She wanted to become an star in the English-speaking world too. "I want my music to transcend all the barriers," she explained to Latina. "The spirit of conquest is a trait that has survived in human beings from the beginning. I want if for the same reason the Spaniards wanted to come to America. To be able to sink my Colombian flag in this land, that is a motivation."

Having relocated to Miami with her parents, Shakira became close to Gloria and Emilio Estefan who treated her like a little sister. Their support helped Shakira believe that she could record an album in English. "Gloria injected me [with] so much confidence,"Shakira told the Los Angeles Times. Originally, Estefan had offered to translate Shakira's songs and help her with the pronunciations during recording. However, for control freak Shakira, this wouldn't do. "I can't hire other people to write songs for me,"Shakira told Time. "I have to write them myself." So with characteristic determination, Shakira set out to learn English. With well-worn copies of Walt Whitman poems and English rhyming dictionaries, she started to gain control of the language. Using it to express her deepest feelings through song was another problem altogether. "I didn't want to make anything that was not from the heart, that was not honest enough," she told the Los Angeles Times. "And it was quite a challenge, because I was born in Spanish and raised in Spanish. I live in Spanish. I love in Spanish." Finally, she wrote the first song, "Objection. " "I prayed and asked God to send me a good song today, and I remember I started writing the song a couple of hours after," she related on www.Shakira.com. That accomplishment gave her the confidence to finish the album.

Remained Committed to Her Roots

Released in 2000 Laundry Service shot straight to number three on the Billboard charts, selling more than 200,000 copies in its first week. It was an album of love songs inspired by her relationship with de la Rúa. With it, Shakira had succeeded in creating music in a new language while preserving her distinctive style. The album is peppered with bits of tango, a heavy dose of rock guitar, brief flirtations with Andean flutes, and topped off with a decidedly Middle Eastern flair. "Yo soy una fusion," I'm a fusion she declared in Teen People. However, even as Laundry Service trumpeted her fame in the States and beyond, Shakira still knows who she is. Embracing both her roots and her future she declared to Time, "I plan to keep being the same artist, with the same musical language." She continued, "It's all still coming from my real feelings, my real-life experiences." And for her Hispanic fans who have supported her for so long, she told the Los Angeles Times, "I continue belonging to them. Forever." She has crossed over, but she hasn't turned away. That is something both her Anglo and her Latino fans can be thankful for.