The real name of Shakira is Isabel Mebarak Ripoll. Shakira was born in Barranquilla (Atlantico-Colombia) february 2nd, 1977; her mother was a native Colombian and her father was of Lebanese descent. She began in the music at age five, wrote her first song at age eight, began entering (and winning) talent competitions at age 10, and learned to play the guitar at age 11. In 1990, at age 13, Shakira moved to Bogota and she did a deal with Sony's Colombian division and in 1991 presented her album Magia (Magic) and although with this she didn't break internationally, the album was very good in Colombia. Dissatisfied with the pop inclinations, she changed at 1993 her direction joining the cast of the Colombian soap opera El Oasis in 1994. When Shakira returned to recording in 1995, she asserted more with her thirth album Pies Descalzos (Bare Feet). Shakira decided learn english to maintain control over her songs because Gloria Estefan offered to translate "Ojos AsÃ" into English and with this song she won in the year 2000 a MTV Video Music Award. In the next years 2001-2005, she was became in a star of English-speaking world, specially with the song "Whenever, Wherever". Actually, she is a great colombian like many people of my country.
