Shakira Mebarak
Biography
Born
Shakira Mebarak Ripoll in the coastal city of Barranquilla, Colombia,
Shakira-who goes by her first name only-- is that blend of raw talent,
brains and charisma that only rarely comes along in any field. Her
name, which in Arabic means "woman full of grace," belies
her ancestry.
She is
the daughter of a Colombian mother and a Lebanese father--a jeweler
and writer, whose Arabic background greatly influenced his daughter.
Shakira's fondness for music was apparent early on, and she started
winning local and national talent contests at age 10.
By 13,
she had signed a record deal with Sony in Colombia, which resulted
in her first album, "Magia (Magic)," a compilation of
songs she wrote between the ages of 8 and 13. It was an effort that
put Shakira in Colombia's musical map, and led to her being chosen
to represent her country at the Fesival OTI in Spain. Because she
was under the minimum age of 16, she wasn't allowed to participate.
So instead, Shakira recorded a second album of original material,
"Peligro (Danger)."
At that
point, Shakira took a break from music, graduated from high school
(at age 15) and came back with a vengeance.
The result
was the phenomenally successful "Pies Descalzos," a hit-laden
smash, which has sold close to four million copies worldwide. Shakira
became an international sensation touring for an almost solid two
years, playing her songs to sold-out audiences throughout the world.
In Brazil alone, "Pies Descalzos" sold in excess of 900,000
copies, leading Shakira to record remixes in Portuguese for her
Brazilian fans.
She abandoned
the light pop format she had been doing and declined her label's
suggestion to explore more commercial avenues. Instead, she insisted
on recording her very own brand of music: a blend of pop and rock
that was unprecedented for a Colombian musician, much less a woman.
Such
a smashing hit seems impossible to surpass. But Shakira has done
it with "Donde Estan los Ladrones," a collection of potential
hits that further explores the realms of rock 'n' roll without losing
Shakira's authenticity. "It is totally refreshing for me to
work with an artist who knows exactly what she wants, both at a
musical and a personal level," said Emilio Estefan. "Her
music is Shakira. It's real music."
Last
year, the Colombian government designated Shakira as an official
goodwill ambassador, the Pope granted her an audience in the Vatican,
and she was named Latin Female Artist of the Year at the World Music
Awards in Monaco in May. The next logical step was to crossover
to the English market.
Critics
are already hailing "Donde Estan los Ladrones" as a breakthrough
album whose thought-provoking songs that leave her standing a notch
taller than a slew of female singer/songwriters heard on radio today.
For the
most exciting singer/songwriter to come out of Latin America in
years, the possibilities are endless. For the millions that already
buy her albums, she is already the voice of a new generation.
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