Biography of Singer Shakira

Biography of Singer Shakira

Nick Name : Shakira
Full Name : Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll
Born  : February 2, 1977
Age : 36
Place : Barranquilla, Colombia
Country : Colombia
Categories : Pop, Latin pop, rock en Español, dance, folk and world music
Occupations : Singer, Record Producer, Dancer and Lyrics Writer
Instruments : Vocals, Guitar, Drums, Percussion, Harmonica

Shakira Early Life : Shakira was born on February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia. She is The Only Child of Nidia Ripoll and William Mebarak Chadid. Her Paternal Grandparents Emigrated From Lebanon to New York City, Where Her Father Was Born. From Her mother, Nidia Ripoll, She has Spanish (Catalan and Castilian) and Italian descent. She has eight older half-siblings from her father's previous marriage.Shakira spent much of her youth in Barranquilla, a city located in northern Caribbean coast of Colombia. Shakira wrote her first poem, titled "La Rosa De Cristal" ("The Crystal Rose") when she was only four years old. As she was growing up, she was fascinated watching her father writing stories on a typewriter, and asked for one as a Christmas gift. She got her wish at age seven and continued writing poetry. These poems eventually evolved into songs. When Shakira was two years old, an older half-brother was killed in a motorcycle accident and at the age of eight, Shakira wrote her first song, titled "Tus gafas oscuras" ("Your dark glasses"), which was inspired by her father, who for years wore dark glasses to hide his grief. Shakira is related to the Vergara family and family friend.
When Shakira was four, her father took her to a local Middle Eastern restaurant, where Shakira first heard the doumbek, a traditional drum used in Arabic music and which typically accompanied belly dancing.Before she knew it, Shakira was dancing on the table, she then knew she wanted to be a performer. She enjoyed singing for schoolmates and teachers (and even the nuns) at her Catholic school, but in the second grade was rejected for the school choir because her vibrato was too strong. The music teacher told her that she sounded "like a goat". At school, she says she had been known as "the belly dancer girl", as she would demonstrate every Friday at school a number she had learned. "That's how I discovered my passion for live performance," she says. To instill gratitude for her upbringing in Shakira, her father took her to a local park to see orphans who lived there. The images stayed with her and she said to herself "one day I’m going to help these kids when I become a famous artist."
Between the ages of ten and thirteen, Shakira was invited to various events in Barranquilla and gained some recognition in the area.It was at about this time that she met local theater producer Monica Ariza, who was impressed with her and as a result tried to help her career. During a flight from Barranquilla to Bogotá, Ariza convinced Sony Colombia executive Ciro Vargas to hold an audition for Shakira in a hotel lobby. Vargas held Shakira in high regard and, returning to the Sony office, gave the cassette to a song and artist director. However, the director was not overly excited and thought Shakira was something of "a lost cause". Vargas, not daunted, was still convinced that Shakira had talent, and set up an audition in Bogotá. He arranged for Sony Colombia executives to arrive at the audition, with the idea of surprising them with Shakira's performance. She performed three songs for the executives and impressed them enough for her to be signed to record three Albums.

Shakira Personal Life : Shakira is a native Spanish speaker who speaks fluent English and Portuguese, as well as some Italian, French, and Catalan. Shakira is a Roman Catholic, and met Pope John Paul II in 1998. She is interested in world history, and she frequently studies the history and languages of the countries she visits. After her Oral Fixation tour ended in the summer of 2007, Shakira attended a summer school class in Los Angeles at UCLA Extensions, where she took courses in 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 Domínguez. In an interview on The Paul O'Grady Show, she referred to herself as a mutt due to her diverse ancestry, which she noted as a theme behind her song "Gypsy".

Current Relationship : Shakira is Currently In a Relationship With The Spanish Football Player Gerard Piqué, Centre Back For FC Barcelona and the Spanish National Team. They met in spring 2010 when Piqué appeared in the music video for Shakira's song "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Shakira officially confirmed their relationship on March 29, 2011 via Twitter and Facebook, posting a picture of the two with a caption reading, "I present to you my sunshine." It was the first time she had ever spoken of the relationship after several months of media speculation. In September 2012, Shakira confirmed that she and Piqué were expecting their first child together.Shakira gave birth to the couple's son, Milan Piqué Mebarak, on January 22, 2013 in Barcelona, Spain, where the family resides.