















Shakira, the Latin American pop star who burst onto the scene twenty years ago, is a Colombian singer, songwriter, and dancer who is one of the most famous female performers on Earth. With over 45 million followers on Instagram, it’s not hard to see why.
Born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, Shakira was raised in Barranquilla and began performing at an early age. Her first studio albums, “Magia” and “Peligro” (which were released in the early 1990’s), failed to gain commercial success. In 1996, she achieved commercial and critical success in Latin America with her major-label debut “Pies Descalzos” In 2001, she released her best-selling “Laundry Service.” “Laundry Service”, her fifth studio album but first in the English market, was a smash hit. The album’s lead single, “Whenever, Wherever”, became one of the most successful singles of 2002.
In Latin America alone, Shakira has sold over 10 million albums. She also has one of the most followed Instagram accounts on Earth with close to 50 million followers. Shakira has quite the high-profile personal life, too, as she is married to Spanish footballing legend Gerard Pique, who plays for Barcelona and the Spanish National team.
From 2012 to 2015, she was listed among world’s top 100 most powerful women in the world by Forbes.n 2017, she was the only artist listed as one of the world’s greatest leaders by Fortune, ranked at 27th.