"Shakira,Shakira"

 

Grammy-winning Latina pop singer Shakira She won the 2001 Best Latin pop Grammy for her "MTV Unplugged" album. Shakira is known to have adopted many genres, including folk, mainstream pop and rock. When she released her first English material in late 2001, she became an instant pop sensation, thanks to her quirky poetic sense and a sexy video image built on her hip-shaking belly dance moves.The talented Latin pop singer Shakira was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, on February 2, 1977, as Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll.Shakira means "thankful" in Arabic.

Shakira is well known for her dancing in various music videos and in concert. Her moves are based on the art of Arabic belly dancing.The intense training has afforded her a fluidity in her body movement most seen in the videos to her hits "Ojos Así", "La Tortura", "Hips Don't Lie", Whenever, Wherever / Suerte, "Beautiful Liar" and She Wolf / Loba. She has had several belly dance choreographers, including award-winning Bellydance Superstar Boženka. As the MTV Making the Video for "La Tortura" reveals, she worked with Jamie King on the choreography, but ended up creating most of it herself.

Shakira's debut album, Magia, was recorded with Sony Music in 1990 when she was only thirteen years old."Pies Descalzos" (Barefeet), in 1995. In this album, she composed her songs with more rock and roll rhythms blended with the Arabic tinges. This particular album surprisingly became number one in eight different countries with its hit single "Esto Aqui" producing platinum in U.S. Focusing her thoughts on music, she finally left "El Oasis" in 1997. In order to develop her career as a singer, Shakira decided to take Emilio Estefan, Jr as her manager and producer.

Shakira's first live album, MTV Unplugged was recorded in New York City on August 12, 1999. Highly acclaimed by American critics, it is rated as one of her best-ever live performances. The live album earned the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album in 2001 and gained sales of five million worldwide.

"Pies Descalzos" (Barefeet), in 1995. In this album, she composed her songs with more rock and roll rhythms blended with the Arabic tinges. This particular album surprisingly became number one in eight different countries with its hit single "Esto Aqui" producing platinum in U.S. Focusing her thoughts on music, she finally left "El Oasis" in 1997. In order to develop her career as a singer, Shakira decided to take Emilio Estefan, Jr as her manager and producer.

Shakira performed on January 18, 2009 at the Lincoln Memorial "We Are One" festivities in honor of the inauguration of President Barack Obama. She performed "Higher Ground" with Stevie Wonder and Usher. Shakira collaborated with the South African group Freshlyground to create the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, "Waka Waka". She headlined the closing ceremony on July 11, 2010 as well.

Shakira began working her goal to international market. By the year of 2002, "Laundry Service" was released with its remarkable singles, "Whenever, Wherever" and "Underneath Your Clothes." The album soon became one of the top albums of the year, being sold for over 10 million copies and subsequently went Triple Platinum no more than a year.

Beyond her activities in music, Shakira is also deeply involved in her Pies Descalzos Foundation, which is aimed to promote education and to provide basic needs among displaced children who suffer from the violence in Colombia, besides taking a role as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.

Few Important Information About Her

• Having received a World Music Award as the best selling Latin artist of that time.
• 101 Sexiest Celebrity Bodies (2005).
• Hates to wear jewelry.
• The first English song she wrote was Objection, from the album Laundry Service.
• Mattel put out several Barbie dolls inspired by Shakira and her look.
• She loves to eat corozos, a little Colombian fruit that is sweet-sour.
• Lists John Lennon as her 1 musical influence.
• Won MTV Video Music Award in the now-defunct category of People's Choice — Favorite International Artist for "Ojos Asi". On September 2000.
• Was featured as 15 in Maxim Magazine's "Hot 100 of 2002" supplement.
• Ranked as 76 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement.
• Named 20 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement.
• Shakira became the first artist in the history of the Billboard charts to earn the coveted number one spots on both the Top 40 Mainstream and Latin Chart in the same week doing so with "Hips Don't Lie".
• According to Nokia, Shakira has topped up more music downloads in the 2009 than any other Latino artist.
• "Hips Don't Lie" was the most-played pop song in a single week in American radio history.
• Is a huge fan of Bollywood movies and music from India.
• Farah Khan(choreographer)choreograph a dance for her performance at the 2006 MTV Video Awards. She sang and danced to 'Hips Don't Lie' in traditional Indian clothing.