FAMOUS FAVOURITES

SHAKIRA.

(Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll; Barranquilla, 1977) Latin pop-rock singer from Colombia.

Born into a middle-class family, Shakira was the daughter of William Mebarak, of Lebanese descent, and Nidia Ripoll, a Colombian with Catalan ancestry. From the age of five she showed signs of her artistic vocation, demonstrating her remarkable talent in the interpretation of Arabic dances and songs. It is not in vain that her name, Shakira, means "full of grace" in the Arabic language.

As a teenager, Shakira signed her first record deal with Sony Music Colombia, for which she recorded her first album, Magia (1991), with songs she had composed between the ages of eight and thirteen, followed two years later by a second album, Peligro (1993). Her personality immediately impacted the public and music journalists; she was chosen to represent Colombia at the OTI Festival, but could not attend because she was under sixteen.

The great opportunity came when she was invited to participate in the 1993 Viña del Mar Song Festival. It was then that, at the age of sixteen, her performance of the ballad Eres opened the doors to the Latin American market. While finishing her high school studies, Shakira prepared what would become her third album, Pies descalzos (1995). The album, which included, in addition to the title track, other hits such as Estoy aquí, Sueños blancos and ¿Dónde estás corazón, was a success throughout Latin America, with more than four million copies sold.

I admire this artist because, despite her popularity, Shakira has not gone overboard. She has been combining her artistic career with humanitarian causes for years. In the mid-1990s she created the Barefoot Foundation, dedicated to helping child victims of violence in Colombia by providing educational, nutritional, psychological and medical services. He also founded ALAS (América Latina en Acción Solidaria), a non-profit institution that aims to promote early childhood development in Latin America. In 2003 she was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, and in 2006 she received the Spirit of Hope Award for her humanitarian work.