Shakira Ripoll, born Feb 2nd 1977, is a Colombian singer-songwriter, dancer, and record producer. She is often referred to as “Queen of Latin Music” and has had a significant impact on the musical landscape of Latin America. Shakira has historically been credited with popularizing Hispanophone and Latin music globally, partially contributing to the increase and learning of the Spanish language worldwide through her music. Throughout her career, she has earned four Grammy Awards and fifteen Latin Grammy Awards.  

Shakira started her music career at just 14 years old, rising in popularity with albums such as  Pies Descalzos (1995) and Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998). Later in 2001, she would release her first English-language album, Laundry Service (2001), which skyrocketed her into international stardom, selling over 13 million copies worldwide and making this album the best-selling album by a female Latin artist.  

Other albums such as Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005), Sale el Sol (2010), El Dorado (2017), and Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (2024) all topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, and made Shakira the first woman with number-one albums across four different decades, as well as her English albums Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), She Wolf (2009), and Shakira (2014)  all achieved platinum status worldwide.