Biography
Born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll on February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira had an early start in the music industry. She started winning local and national talent contests when she was only 10. By the age of 13, she signed a record deal with Sony in Colombia. Her first album, "Magia" , was a collection of songs she wrote between the ages of 8 and 13. Because of the album, Shakira was chosen to represent her country at the Festival OTI in Spain. But she was under age. So she went on and wrote more music and made another album called, "Peligro".
Shakira then took a break from music to graduate from high school at the age of 15. When she came back, she did it with a bang! Her third album, "Pies Descalzos" sold close to four million copies around the world with the hit single, "Estoy Aqui". Shakira became a international sensation and toured for almost to strait years.
She left the light pop music she had been doing and ignored her label's suggestion to explore more commercial avenues. She wanted to record her very own brand of music that was a mix of rock and pop. This was unheard of for a Colombian musician, more or less a women! But she did it and her fourth album, "Donde Estan Los Ladrones?" proved that! The album is a smash hit with such songs as, "Inevitable", "Ojos Asi", and "Ciega Sordomuda". The album is full of hits that only the "sordomudos" would be able to resist.

My E-mail
shakira_arikahs@hotmail.com