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 Mebarak (full name Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll) was born Februin Barranquilla, Colombia, into a poor family. From there, she remained a platinum-certified chart fixture around the world, hitting both the Spanish- and English-language markets with subsequent efforts such as 2005's Fijacion Oral, Vol. Boosted by the radio hit 'Whenever, Wherever'/'Suerte,' the set became an instant pop sensation.

Following the release of '90s breakthrough albums Pies Descalzos and Dónde Están los Ladrones?, she was primed to take her place on the global stage with her first English-language effort, 2001's chart-topping smash Laundry Service. Noted for her rock-influenced approach, Shakira maintained an extraordinary degree of creative control over her music she wrote or co-wrote nearly all of her own material, and in the process gained a reputation as one of the genre's most ambitiously poetic lyricists.

After achieving superstardom throughout Latin America, Colombian-born singer and songwriter Shakira became one of Latin pop's biggest international crossover artists, selling millions worldwide and collecting hundreds of awards in the process.

Shakira music style