Shakira
After achieving superstardom throughout Latin America, Colombian-born Shakira
became Latin pop's biggest female crossover artist since
Jennifer Lopez broke down the doors to English-language success. Noted for her
aggressive, rock-influenced approach,
Shakira maintained an
extraordinary degree of creative control over her music, especially for a
female artist; she wrote or co-wrote nearly all of her own material, and in
the process gained a reputation as one of Latin music's most ambitiously
poetic lyricists. When she released her first English material in late 2001,
she became an instant pop sensation, thanks to her quirky poetic sense and a
sexy video image built on her hip-shaking belly-dance moves.
Shakira Mebarak (full name: Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll) was born February
9, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia, into a poor family. Her mother was a
native Colombian and her father was of Lebanese descent, and so as a child
Shakira soaked up music from both cultures; she also listened heavily to
English-language rock & roll, listing her favorite bands in later interviews
as Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, the Police, the Cure, and Nirvana. Shakira wrote
her first song at age eight, began entering (and winning) talent competitions
at age ten, and started learning the guitar at age 11; one story runs that
around this age, she was kicked out of her school choir for singing too
forcefully. In 1990, at age 13, Shakira moved to Bogotá in hopes of pursuing a
modeling career, but wound up signing a record deal with Sony's Colombian
division instead. Her 1991 debut album, Magia (Magic), was comprised of songs
she'd written over the past five or six years, including some of her earliest
efforts. Although it didn't break internationally, the record started to make
a name for her in her home country. Dissatisfied with the pop inclinations of
the follow-up, 1993's Peligro (Danger), Shakira changed direction for a time,
joining the cast of the Colombian soap opera El Oasis in 1994.
When Shakira returned to recording in 1995, she asserted more control over the
direction of her music, and worked more rock & roll rhythms -- as well as
occasional Arabic tinges -- into her Latin pop material. The first results
were Pies Descalzos (Bare Feet), which was initially released in 1995; a slow
seller at first, the album gradually caught on thanks to the rock-tinged
single "Estoy Aqui," which became a hit all over Latin America, as well as
Spain. After that breakthrough, Pies Descalzos just kept spinning off singles:
"Dónde Estás Corazón?," "Antología," "Pienso en Ti," "Un Poco de Amor,"
"Se
Quiere, Se Mata." The album hit number one in eight different countries and
eventually went platinum in the U.S. as well; Shakira toured for nearly two
years promoting it (she finally left El Oasis in 1997).
Seeking to build on her success, Shakira signed Emilio Estefan -- Gloria's
husband and a highly successful music-biz insider -- as her manager and
producer. The move paid off when her follow-up album, 1998's Dónde Están los
Ladrones? (Where Are the Thieves?), became an even bigger worldwide hit than
its predecessor. What was more, it cracked the lucrative U.S. market wide
open, spending 11 weeks at number one on Billboard's Latin album chart and
producing two U.S. number ones (on the Latin chart) with "Ciega, Sordomuda"
and "Tu." The album's signature track, however, was the worldwide hit "Ojos
Así," her most explicit nod yet to the Arabic music she'd picked up from her
father (not to mention its latent belly-dancing connotations). Dónde Están los
Ladrones? was also the most effective presentation yet of Shakira's
strong-willed persona; her self-analysis made her even more popular among
female fans, while her anger over love gone wrong drew comparisons to Alanis
Morissette.
When Gloria Estefan offered to translate "Ojos Así" into English, the prospect
of a crossover suddenly seemed tangible, and Shakira decided that the most
effective way to maintain control over her material was to learn English well
enough to write in it herself. In the meantime, she set the stage for her
crossover bid with a performance on MTV Unplugged; the channel's first
Spanish-language broadcast. MTV Unplugged was released as an album in early
2000, and topped the Latin charts for two weeks on its way to becoming her
third straight platinum album; it also won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album.
At the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards ceremony in 2000, Shakira delivered a
much-discussed, show-stopping performance of "Ojos Así," and took home
Unplugged-related trophies for Best Female Pop Vocal ("Ojos Así") and Best
Female Rock Vocal ("Octavo Dia").
Mainstream pop stardom beckoned. Shakira dyed her long brown hair blonde,
romanced Antonio de la Rua (son of the former president of Argentina), and
went to work on her first (mostly) English-language album, Laundry Service.
The single/video "Whenever, Wherever" was released in advance of the album in
late 2001, and made her a star in the English-speaking world almost overnight.
Laundry Service entered the American pop charts at number three, and
"Whenever, Wherever" climbed into the Top Ten of the singles chart, peaking at
number six. The follow-up "Underneath Your Clothes" also hit the Top Ten,
halting at number nine; less than a year after its release, Laundry Service
had gone triple platinum. Reviews of Laundry Service were divided as to the
effectiveness of Shakira's English lyrics, but nearly all agreed on her unique
poetic imagery. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Interesting links
Shakira pictures
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