Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (born: February 2, 1977) known simply as Shakira, (pronounced /???ki?r?/ in English, /t?a'kira/ in Spanish ?[2]) is a Colombian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer and philanthropist who has been a major figure in the pop music scene of Latin America since the mid-1990s. She is a native Spanish speaker and also speaks fluent English, Portuguese, Italian,[3] and some Arabic. In 2001, she broke through onto the English-speaking world with the release of Laundry Service, which sold over thirteen million copies worldwide.[4] Shakira is the highest-selling Colombian artist of all time, having sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, according to BMI.[5] She has also won numerous awards worldwide, including two Grammy Awards, eight Latin Grammy Awards, fifteen Billboard Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, a People's Choice Award and receiving a Golden Globe nomination. She is also the only artist from South America to reach the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, the Australian ARIA chart, and the UK Singles Chart.
