Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll

Shakira Biography | Short Story

Here we have a short story about the motivational Shakira Biography. Her life is a real success story with failures and obstacles.

 

She is a Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, businesswoman. Born and raised in Barranquilla, Known for the hits ‘Whenever, Wherever‘, ‘Hips Don’t Lie.’ and ‘Waka Waka‘. Hugely successful Colombian pop singer and dancer Shakira has won multiple Grammy, Latin Grammy, and American Music Awards.

She won a total of 342 awards.

Shakira is the Colombian artist with estimates of more than 70 million albums sold worldwide.

She has also served as a judge on the popular singing-competition show The Voice.

 

So much gained, so much achieved but the journey was not so easy. Her journey is one of the true motivational stories. Here in Shakira Biography, we are going to learn her story.

She lost her older brother in a motorcycle accident when she was just 2 years old. In order to hide his grief, her father started wearing sunglasses and then his business got bankrupt.

“In this life, to earn your place you have to fight for it.”-Shakira

Shakira watched her family sell off their possessions.

but she still idolized her hardworking father and asked for a typewriter as a Christmas gift.

She got it at the age of seven and started writing poems which later evolved into songs.

her 1st song was known by the name “Your Dark Glasses”/ “Tus gafas oscuras”

She dedicated to her father and sang about her father’s attempt to shield her from his sorrow.

Although her family struggled financially, to make her always feel grateful for all she had and help those who are not.

her father introduced her to children who were worse off

kids who could not even afford shoes to cover their feet. Realizing the harsh reality of life.

Shakira vowed that someday she would be able to help them.

“I feel a true sense of duty to use the voice and the platform I’ve been afforded by my fame to speak out for those whose voices do not get a chance to be heard.”-Shakira

Her father once took her to a restaurant.

where she saw a belly dancer moving to the beat of a drum. She started coping the steps right there on the table, and the experience made her realize that she wanted to be a performer.

Shakira decided then and there that music was her true passion.

“I never made it to the school choir because the music teacher didn’t like my voice. I was pretty sad. But he was mostly right; I did have a voice a bit like a goat, but my dad told me to never give up and to keep going, and it’s paid off.”-Shakira

But she was rejected from the school choir. because her vibrato was too strong.
and her music teacher told her that she sounded “like a goat.”

She says she had also been referred to as “the belly dancer girl”, as she would demonstrate every Friday at school a number she had learned.

“That’s how I discovered my passion for live performance,” she says.

“I continously had the intuition, even as a little child, that I was called for a big project.” –Shakira

She would perform at any venue that would have her. To build confidence in yourself is one of the toughest things.

Finally, she convinced a label executive to listen to her audition. While standing in a hotel lobby, backed up by a boombox.

 

“You feel that there is an avalanche coming at you, when you meet the right person.”- Shakira

The executive took chance on her.

And there she signed three albums

But her first two albums were utter failures and Shakira knew she only had one chance left to turn it all around.

She knew the world needed to hear her voice.

So, she wrote and produced every last song on the record.

“You can not achieve anything in life without a small amount of sacrifice.”-Shakira

The album was a hit and enabled her to start the Barefoot Foundation.
Which now has 5 schools across Colombia.

“In the full light of day, I do not want to think about the sunset.”-Shakira

Barefoot Foundation provides meals for thousands of children.

Her music teacher may have hated her singing voice, but her unique sound has earned her no shortage of fans.

Shakira never lost sight of her dream to help others and managed to maintain confidence in herself, despite all those who thought she would never make it.

You need to know this, to earn your place you have to fight for it.

Make yourself heard.