Shakira is a Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, choreographer, and model. She was born on February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla where she began performing in school, demonstrating Latin, Arabic, and rock and roll influences and belly dancing abilities. Shakira released her first studio albums, Magia andPeligro, in the early 1990s, failing to attain commercial success; however, she rose to prominence in Latin America with her major-label debut, Pies Descalzos (1996), and her fourth album, Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998).
Shakira has won many awards, including five MTV Video Music Awards, two Grammy Awards, eight Latin Grammy Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, 28 Billboard Latin Music Awards and has been Golden Globe-nominated. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and sold more than 60 million records worldwide, making the third best selling Latin artist of all time. She carries out well-known philanthropic activities through charity work and benefit concerts, notably her Pies Descalzos Foundation, her performance at the “Clinton Global Initiative” created by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, and her invitation to the Oval Office by President Barack Obama in February 2010 to discuss early childhood development. As of 2014, she is listed as the 58th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes. As of July 2014, Shakira has become the first person to reach 100 million followers on Facebook.
