Early Life
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll began writing songs as a child, signed her first recording contract as a teenager and became a star in Latin America in the 1990s.
Career
She crossed into the English-language market with Laundry Service (2001). “Hips Don't Lie” (2006) reached number one in the United States, and “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” became the anthem of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. She performed at the Super Bowl LIV halftime show in 2020 with Jennifer Lopez.
Legacy
Shakira has won multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards and is one of the best-selling Latin artists of all time. She founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation in 1997 to support education for children in Colombia.
Sources and further reading
Last updated: 2026-09-24