Shakira (/ʃaˈkiɾa/[1]), full name Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, born February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla (Colombia), is a Colombian singer-songwriter.

After emerging on the Latin American scene performing in the 1990s, she enjoyed international success from 2002 with the title Whenever, Wherever and the album Laundry Service. Famous for her songs mixing Latin pop and world music, she is also renowned for her dancing skills which she uses in her concerts and clips (belly dance, merengue, tango).

The songs Whenever, Wherever and Hips Don't Lie are his two biggest hits with 5 million and 8 million copies sold respectively, reaching No. 1 in about 30 countries. Other of his songs charted number one in several countries including La tortura, Beautiful Liar, Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), Loca, and Chantaje.

In 2010, she performed Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), which was chosen by FIFA as the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and which became the best-selling single in the history of this event (more than 5 million copies that year[2]). Holding the sales record for a Colombian artist[3] (80 million)[4], she is also the only Latin American artist to have simultaneously placed a title at the top of the American, Australian and British charts[5]. In 2009, Billboard named her the best female Latin artist of the decade[6],[7].

His humanitarian work is also recognized, notably through his association Pies Descalzos[8], which helps underprivileged children whose families have been victims of armed groups, by offering them access to education. Many of his personal profits (especially those related to advertising) go to him. In 2021, Shakira was named "the greatest Latin artist of all time" due to her success and influence[9],[10].

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