Shakira is one of the most iconic and commercially successful recording artists in the history of Latin music and indeed, global pop music.
Known for her extraordinary vocal range, mesmerizing belly dancing, and emotionally charged songwriting, she has sold over 80 million records worldwide, won multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, and built a philanthropic and entrepreneurial empire that extends well beyond music.
Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira rose from a child performer to a planet-spanning superstar whose songs span languages, cultures, and generations. She is widely regarded as the most commercially successful Latin female artist of all time.
Profile Details
| Full Name | Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll |
| Stage Name | Shakira |
| Born | February 2, 1977 |
| Age | 48 years old (as of 2025) |
| Birthplace | Barranquilla, Colombia |
| Nationality | Colombian |
| Occupation | Singer, Songwriter, Dancer, Actress, Philanthropist, Entrepreneur |
| Height | 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic (raised) |
| Parents | William Mebarak Chadid (father), Nidia Ripoll Torrado (mother) |
| Siblings | 8 half-siblings from her father’s first marriage |
| Children | Milan Piqué Mebarak (born 2013), Sasha Piqué Mebarak (born 2015) |
| Relationship | Previously in a relationship with Gerard Piqué (2011–2022); currently single |
| Net Worth | $300–$400 million |
Early Life
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia, a vibrant coastal city known for its Carnival and rich blend of Caribbean, African, and Latin cultures. Her father, William Mebarak Chadid, is of Lebanese descent and is a writer and jeweler. Her mother, Nidia Ripoll Torrado, has Italian and Spanish ancestry. Growing up in a Roman Catholic household, Shakira is the only child of her parents, though she has eight older half-siblings from her father’s previous marriage.
From a remarkably young age, Shakira displayed extraordinary creative instincts. She wrote her first poem at the age of four, and by age eight had composed her first song motivated by personal experiences within her family. Her name means “grateful” in Arabic, a nod to her Lebanese heritage. She developed a deep love for belly dancing, a skill she learned partly from her Lebanese cultural roots and which would become one of her most distinctive performance trademarks.
At age four, Shakira accompanied her father to a local park where she encountered homeless children for the first time. That moment of confronting poverty deeply moved her and planted the seeds of the lifelong humanitarian commitment that would later define her off-stage identity. Shakira attended La Enseñanza school in Barranquilla during her childhood and participated in local school theatrical productions that fed her growing passion for performance.
Education
Shakira studied at La Enseñanza School in Barranquilla during her early years. Her academic background also includes studies in history and languages, reflecting an intellectual curiosity she maintained alongside her entertainment career. She was rejected from her school’s choir as a child because her voice was said to vibrate too much an irony that has since become one of music’s most celebrated legends. Despite the early setbacks of being told her voice was not conventionally beautiful, she continued pursuing music with relentless determination. Shakira later studied at the Ramon de Zubiria College in Barranquilla before her music career fully consumed her academic life.
Career
Shakira began her professional music career at the age of 13 when she was signed by Sony Music Colombia. Her debut album Magia (1991) and its follow-up Peligro (1993) were commercial failures in Colombia, and Sony reportedly considered dropping her. However, Shakira refused to give up. She returned in 1995 with her third album, Pies Descalzos (“Bare Feet”), which became a massive success throughout Latin America, selling over three million copies and establishing her as a rising star.
Her 1998 album ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? (“Where Are the Thieves?”) catapulted her to the top of the Latin music world. It won two Grammy Awards and is considered one of the greatest Latin rock albums of all time. Her songwriting deeply personal, lyrically inventive, and emotionally raw distinguished her from her peers.
In 2001, Shakira crossed over to English-language audiences with her album Laundry Service, which spawned the worldwide smash hit Whenever, Wherever. The album sold over 13 million copies globally. In 2005, her bilingual album She Wolf / Loba and the groundbreaking Oral Fixation Vol. 2 further expanded her global reach, producing the record-breaking single Hips Don’t Lie — which became one of the best-selling singles of all time and the first song to simultaneously top charts in over 55 countries.
In 2010, Shakira released Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), the official song of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The song became a massive global hit, accumulating over three billion views on YouTube, making it one of the most-watched music videos in history. In 2008, she signed a landmark ten-year, $300 million deal with Live Nation, one of the largest touring deals in music history. Her El Dorado World Tour in 2018 generated approximately $75 million in revenue.
In 2024, Shakira released the critically acclaimed album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (“Women Don’t Cry Anymore”), a deeply personal work addressing her high-profile separation from former partner Gerard Piqué. The album received multiple Grammy nominations and widespread critical acclaim, including the Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album in 2025. She also announced an ambitious world tour to begin in 2025, set to be the most elaborate production of her career.
In 2021, Shakira sold the rights to her music publishing catalog to the Hipgnosis Songs Fund, further cementing her financial legacy. She served as a coach on NBC’s The Voice during its fourth and sixth seasons.
Awards & Nominations
Shakira’s awards record is one of the most impressive in Latin music history:
- Grammy Awards: 5 wins (including Best Latin Rock/Urban/Alternative Album for ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? and Best Latin Pop Album for Laundry Service and Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran)
- Latin Grammy Awards: 13 wins, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Album
- MTV Video Vanguard Award (2023) — MTV’s highest honor for career achievement
- Hollywood Walk of Fame Star (2011)
- Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, World Music Awards — multiple wins across her career
- Guinness World Records — recognized for multiple musical and social media achievements
- Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show (2020) — performed alongside Jennifer Lopez at one of the most-watched television events in American history
Social Media
Shakira is one of the most-followed entertainers on social media globally:
- Instagram: @shakira over 90 million followers
- Facebook: facebook.com/shakira over 110 million followers (one of the most-liked pages on Facebook)
- YouTube: youtube.com/shakira over 40 million subscribers
- Twitter/X: @shakira over 55 million followers
- TikTok: @shakira tens of millions of followers
Shakira is widely recognized as one of the most powerful social media presences in the entertainment industry. Her YouTube channel alone has accumulated billions of views, with Waka Waka exceeding 3 billion views and Hips Don’t Lie surpassing 1.5 billion views.
Personal Life
Shakira’s personal life has been the subject of intense global media attention. From 1999 to 2010, she was in a long-term relationship with Argentine lawyer Antonio de la Rúa. The couple separated in 2010 amid reports of personal and professional tensions.
In 2011, Shakira began a relationship with Spanish professional footballer Gerard Piqué, whom she met during the filming of the music video for Waka Waka at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The couple had two sons together: Milan (born January 22, 2013) and Sasha (born January 29, 2015). In June 2022, after more than a decade together, Shakira and Piqué announced their separation, citing a breakdown in the relationship. Their split became one of the most publicized celebrity breakups of the decade, with Shakira channeling her pain into her acclaimed 2024 album.
Shakira stands 5 feet 2 inches (157 cm) tall. She is a trained belly dancer. She is known for her humanitarian work through the Pies Descalzos Foundation (Barefoot Foundation), which she founded to provide quality education and early childhood development support to underprivileged children in Colombia and other developing countries. The foundation has constructed and supported several schools across Colombia, directly benefiting thousands of children.
Shakira has also been involved in a high-profile tax fraud case in Spain, which was eventually resolved through a legal settlement in 2023. She relocated from Barcelona to Miami with her two sons following her separation from Piqué.
Net Worth
Shakira’s estimated net worth is between $300 million and $400 million, making her one of the wealthiest musicians in the world. Her wealth comes from multiple streams: album sales exceeding 80 million copies globally, record-breaking concert tours (including her El Dorado World Tour generating approximately $75 million), television appearances, brand endorsements with companies like Pepsi, Oral-B, Reebok, Panasonic, and Crest, her own fragrance line “S by Shakira,” her YouTube channel revenue, the catalog rights sale to Hipgnosis, and various business ventures including the co-founding of the production company Shakira Media and a fashion line. Forbes estimated her 2023 touring earnings alone at approximately $108 million.
Discography (Studio Albums)
Magia (1991) Peligro (1993) Pies Descalzos (1995) ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998) Laundry Service (2001) She Wolf / Loba (2009) Sale el Sol (2010) Shakira. (2014) El Dorado (2017) Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (2024)
Selected Notable Singles: Whenever, Wherever Hips Don’t Lie Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) She Wolf Beautiful Liar (with Beyoncé) La Tortura (with Alejandro Sanz) Chantaje (with Maluma) Me Enamoré Bzrp Music Sessions Vol. 53 Monotonía (with Ozuna)
FAQs
Q: What is Shakira’s real name?
A: Her full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll.
Q: What is Shakira’s nationality?
A: She is Colombian.
Q: How many children does Shakira have?
A: She has two sons Milan and Sasha with her ex-partner Gerard Piqué.
Q: What is Shakira’s estimated net worth?
A: Her net worth is estimated at approximately $300 to $400 million.
Q: What is Shakira’s most famous song?
A: She has several iconic songs, but Hips Don’t Lie and Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) are among her most globally recognized hits.
Q: How many records has Shakira sold?
A: Shakira has sold over 80 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists in history.
Conclusion
Shakira’s biography is the story of an extraordinary woman who transformed personal pain into global art, poverty into philanthropy, and cultural diversity into universal music. From the dusty streets of Barranquilla to the world’s biggest stages, she has built a legacy defined by authenticity, resilience, and an unyielding creative spirit. Her hips don’t lie, her music doesn’t fade, and her story continues a testament to what passion, talent, and an unbreakable will can achieve. Shakira remains not just a pop star but a cultural phenomenon, a symbol of Latin pride, and an enduring icon of our time.