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Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, born in
Barranquilla, Colombia on February 2 1977, known
simply as Shakira (meaning "Woman of Grace" in
Arabic language|Arabic), is an internationally
famous singer and songwriting|songwriter.

==Biography==
Shakira was born to a Lebanon|Lebanese father and
a Colombia|Colombian mother, and moved to Bogotá
at the age of thirteen. She released her first
album, Magia (Shakira)|Magia (Magic), one year
later, on the Sony Music Entertainment|Sony label.
The album was only moderately successful, and
Peligro (Shakira)|Peligro (Danger), her second
album, was no better received.

Shakira turned to acting and played a role in a
Colombian telenovela ("El Oasis"), but failed as
an actress. She then returned to the music
business in 1995 in music|1995 with the Album
(music)|album Pies Descalzos (Barefeet), which
established her commercial success. The hit "Estoy
Aquí" became known internationally. The Remixes
(Shakira)|The Remixes was created and featured
remixes from the songs on Pies Descalzos, with
some songs redone in Portuguese.

Following this, Shakira met Emilio Estefan, Jr.,
who would become the executive producer of her
next album. ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (Where
are the thieves?) was a huge production which cost
over US dollar|US$3 million. It was a huge hit
which gained wide critical acclaim and which many
consider to be her best album ever. Most notable
singles from the album are "Inevitable" and the
worldwide mega-hit, "Ojos Así". The album's
successful blend of Rock and roll|rock and Latin
soundscapes made it an immense success. Shakira
also produced Shakira MTV Unplugged, a live album
based on ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones?.

Shakira next turned her sights towards the
English-speaking market, improving her English
enough to begin writing Laundry Service. With a
more rock-edged feel, Laundry Service was aimed at
the international English-speaking market, even
though it contained some Spanish songs. Some
people said that Shakira's English skills were too
weak for her to write in English, but Laundry
Service was nevertheless a big hit, best known for
the infectious single "Whenever, Wherever"
(English version of "Suerte"), and for being one
of the top albums of 2002 in music|2002. Shakira
is well known for intense, athletic live
performances involving belly dance|belly dancing,
Arabic rhythms and other sensual movements.

In 2002, Shakira also released the greatest hits
volume Grandes éxitos (Shakira)|Grandes éxitos.
Shakira: Live & Off the Record (Shakira)|Live &
Off the Record, a DVD and a 10-song CD from her
2002-03 world tour (the "Tour of the Mongoose"),
was released March 30 2004 in music|2004. "The
Tour of the Mongoose" was called so because of the
fact that mongoose can defeat a cobra
(snake)|cobra without being killed by its poison.
The concerts were interspersed with visuals of a
mongoose fighting a cobra.

Shakira is currently finalizing the details of her
next project. This body of work will be released
in two parts. The first album, Fijación Oral 1
(released in June 2005 in music|2005), followed by
Oral Fixation 2, (which will be released in
November 2005). She co-writes and co-produces her
songs with Luis Fernando Ochoa and Lester Méndez.
Vocal co-compilation, as well as direction of 
background vocal sessions by Rita Quintero.

Shakira is considered by many to be a great
talent. As Gabriel García Márquez once wrote of
her, "Shakira's music has a personal stamp that
doesn't look like anyone else's and no one can
sing or dance like her, at whatever age, with such
an innocent sensuality, one that seems to be of
her own invention."

Since 2000, she has been engaged to Antonio de la
Rúa, the son of the former President of
Argentina. In light of the humanitarian and social
crisis in Argentina, many members of the press
lampooned the relationship as frivolous and
arrogant. In response, Shakira gave a nonprofit
concert in Buenos Aires and further promoted her
humanitarian children's foundation "Pies
Descalzos" (Bare feet), named after her third
album.  This was decried by many as a simple
celebrity public relations move.

== Current album ==
It was announced April 8 2005 that Shakira would
be releasing two albums this year. Fijación Oral
1, a Spanish-language album, was released first in
Ireland on 3 June 2005, the rest of the EU on 6
June and then on June 7 in the U.S.A, 2005, and
Oral Fixation 2, an English-language album, is
scheduled to hit store shelves in November. The
first single off Fijación Oral 1, La Tortura (The
Torture), features Spanish pop-star Alejandro
Sanz.

The April 26 episode of MTV's "Making the Video"
showed behind-the-scenes clips of "La Tortura" and
ended with the premiere of the video. This was
notably the first time the show had been aired
entirely in Spanish (with English subtitles).

=== Charts ===
The video for "La Tortura" made its debut on Total
Request Live (TRL) at number nine, and was the
first Spanish language|Spanish music video ever to
be included in the countdown. It reached a peak of
number four on the countdown, pushing the record
even further.

Fijación Oral 1 was simultaneously released in
all of Latin America and charted at number one in
almost all of its countries. In the United States
it charted at number four on the Billboard 200 and
is currently the best-selling Spanish first-week
sales album (157,000), breaking Ricky Martin's
self-titled album (charting number twelve, selling
65,000). It was also well-received in non-Spanish
speaking countries like Germany, where it reached
number one, and Canada, at number seven.
The album also has made history in Europe reaching
#2 for several weeks with the single La Tortura
staying in the Top 10 singles for a while.

Also, Shakira's "La Tortura" has been achieving
success on the Yahoo Music Countdown and VH1 Top
20 Countdown.

Shakira's "La Tortura"  has been nominated for
three MTV Video Music Awards.

Best Female Video,
Best Dance Video,
and Viewers Choice

She is scheduled to perform at the 2005 MTV Video
Music Awards.

==Discography==
===Albums===
*Magia (Shakira)|Magia (1991 in music|1991)
*Peligro (Shakira)|Peligro (1994 in music|1994)
*Pies descalzos (1995 in music|1995) (US Sales: 1
mil)
*The Remixes (Shakira)|The Remixes (1997 in
music|1997)
*¿Dónde están los ladrones? (1998 in
music|1998) (US Sales: 1 mil)
*MTV Unplugged (Shakira album)|MTV Unplugged (2000
in music|2000) (US Sales: 2 mil)
*Laundry Service (2001 in music|2001) - #3 US, #2
UK, #1 CAN, #1 GR (US Sales: 3.3mil,WW Sales:
13mil.)
*Grandes éxitos (Shakira)|Grandes éxitos (2002
in music|2002) 
*Live & Off the Record (Shakira)|Live & Off the
Record (2004 in music|2004) (US Sales: 0.5 mil)
*Fijación Oral 1 (June 2005) - #4 US, #1 GER, #1
LAT, #3 AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND  
*Oral Fixation 2 (November 2005)

===Single (music)|Singles===
*1996: "Estoy Aqui" - #1 LAT
*1996: "Se Quiere Se Mata"
*1997: "Un Poco De Amor"
*1997: "Donde Estas Corazon?"
*1998: "Ciega Sordomuda" - #1 LAT
*1999: "Tu" - #1 LAT
*2000: "Ojos Asi"
*2001: "Whenever, Wherever / Suerte" - #6 US; #2
UK; #1 AU; #2 CAN; #1 LAT; #1 GER; #1 NL
*2002: "Underneath Your Clothes" - #9 US; #3 UK;
#1 AU; #1 CAN; #2 GER; #1 NL
*2002: "Objection (Tango)" - #55 US; #17 UK; #2
AU; #12 CAN; #19 GER; #4 NL
*2003: "The One"- #5 PRT; #15 FRA; #16 AU; #26 NL
*2003: "Que Me Quedes Tu" - #1 LAT
*2005: "La Tortura" (feat. Alejandro Sanz) - #42
US; #1 LAT; #4 GER; #3 NL; #3 ITA; #1 SPA; #3 AT;
#6 TAIW; #1 PRT; #2 SWTZ
*2005: "No" -

==DVDs, films==
*MTV Unplugged (Shakira)|MTV Unplugged (2000)
*Live & Off the Record (Shakira)|Live & Off the
Record (2004)

==See also==
*List of best-selling music artists

==External links and sources==
* http://www.shakira.com/ Shakira's official
homepage
* http://www.shakirarules.com/board/ Shakira Rules
* http://www.shakirafanz.com/forums/
ShakiraFanz.com
* http://www.shak1ra.com/ Shakira Google group
* http://www.americas-fr.com/musique/shakira.html
Biography and Photos of Shakira
* http://www.vivashakira.com/ Shakira
* http://lyrics.rare-lyrics.com/S/Shakira.html The
Shakira Page
*
http://music.marketplaceearth.com/shakira/shakira-
poster Complete Catalog of Shakira Posters, Photos
and Art
* http://shakira.wikicities.com Shakira-Wikicities