Global artist Shakira celebrates her 47th birthday today, Friday, amidst her significant artistic success. However, it has been a tough year for her due to a "fraud" case she faced and the ongoing leaks about the infidelity of her ex-boyfriend, football star Gerard Piqué, following their separation two years ago. The Colombian singer, of Lebanese descent, was born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia, as the only child of William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia Ripoll Torrado, and has Spanish roots as well.
She has released albums containing hundreds of songs and sold over 95 million records, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time, recognized as the best-selling Latin artist. Shakira gained initial fame with her album "Pies Descalzos" (Barefoot) in 1995, after the commercial failure of her first two albums: "Magia" in 1991 and "Peligro" in 1993.
The international success of the artist continued with her 2002 hit "Whenever, Wherever," and her song "Hips Don’t Lie" in 2006 reached number one in song sales. Among her works is also "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)," which became the seventh most-watched video on YouTube.
Last year, Shakira won the Song of the Year award at the Grammy Awards and also received the Best Pop Song award for her collaboration with producer Bizarrap in "Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53" after receiving seven nominations across four categories at the star-studded ceremony. She was the most searched artist on Google in the music category, making headlines twice in 2023, first in January after the release of her new song about her ex-partner Gerard Piqué, which broke records on YouTube in Latin America.
The Colombian star has always expressed pride in her hometown Barranquilla. In recognition of her artistic and charitable contributions, the city decided to create a bronze statue of her measuring 21.3 feet tall, equivalent to about 6.5 meters.
