On February 2, 1977, a Latina musical phenomenon was born in Barranquilla, Colombia. Her Colombian-born mother and Lebanese-American father named her Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll. The name Shakira originates from Arabic, meaning “grateful”. With parents as racially diverse as hers it’s no surprise that she’s fluent in Spanish, Italian, English, and even Portuguese. Later these cultures would come to influence her music. “Barranquilla is the big breast that fed and nurtured me as a human being, a woman, and an artist.” she explained.
As a young child Shakira showed exceptional musical talent. As a matter of fact, she wrote her first song at 8 and signed her first record deal with Sony Music when she was only 13! Her life-long dream was determined