Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (born February 2, 1977), known simply as Shakira,
is an celebrated Colombian singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who has been a major figure
in the pop music of Latin America since the mid-1990s. In 2001, she breakthrough into the English-speaking market
with the release of her first album in that language, Laundry Service, which has sold over 3.5 million
copies in the United States and 15 million copies worldwide. After her exposure to the English market,
Shakira has arguably become one of the most influential Latin American female musicians of all-time.
Shakira is best known for the ability of mixing different sound styles in her songs and albums, for her critically-aclaimed
lyrics and for her dancing style which primarily features belly dancing.
