 Shakira, the Colombian singing sensation has been called the "Latina
Alanis Morissette" by USA Today and comparisons have been made to Janis Joplin.
Shakira is far more ethereal and otherworldly than these comparisons suggest.
Born in Barranquilla, Colombia to parents of Columbian and Lebanese descent,
Shakira Mebarak released her first album in Colombia at age 13. Fancying herself
a true "artista," Shakira has been dancing, writing and singing since age three
and continues to write all of her own music. Shakira is perhaps best known for
her landmark recording Pies Descalzos, a hybrid of rock, pop and Latin rhythms
that sold over 3.6 million copies worldwide. Shakira blends American style
pop-rock with traditional Latin rhythms, creating her own unique sound and
forging new ground in the growing Latin music market in the United States.
Shakira's career received a boost when she was named Latin Female Artist of the
Year at the 1998 World Music Awards.
Her fourth album, Donde Estan los Ladrones, reached the No. 1 spot on
Billboard's Latin 50. As Shakira contemplated crossing over and recording an
English-language album, she became the first Spanish singer to perform on MTV
Unplugged. The album, MTV Unplugged, was released in 1999 and won a Grammy for
Best Latin Pop Album. Shakira's 2001 Laundry Service boasted songs in both
English and Spanish and debuted at number three on the pop charts, thanks to the
Latin-flavored dance hit, "Whenever, Wherever." Suddenly, Shakira seemed like an
overnight sensation, or Latin America's answer to Britney Spears. Her follow-up
single, "Underneath Your Clothes," peaked at number nine. In 2002, Shakira
picked up a Latin Grammy for her video "Suerte."
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