Birth name Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll
Nick name Shaki
Birth date February 2, 1977 (age 30)
Birth place Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, record producer, philanthropist, dancer, actress, music video director
Site www.shakira.com
Nick name Shaki
Birth date February 2, 1977 (age 30)
Birth place Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, record producer, philanthropist, dancer, actress, music video director
Site www.shakira.com
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia. She is the only child of Nidya del Carmen Ripoll Torrado, a Colombian of Spanish and Italian ancestry, and William Mebarak Chadid, of Lebanese and Macedonian descent.
In 2000, Shakira started dating Antonio de la Rúa, the son of then president of Argentina Fernando de la Rúa, a romance that made headline news throughout Latin America. In March 2001, he proposed to her. De la Rúa and Shakira remain engaged, with future plans to marry. She currently lives in The Bahamas. Shakira's future mother-in-law Inés Pertiné claimed the wedding would take place in September 2007 in the mansion which Shakira owns in the Dominican Republic (though this didn't happen). She also said that Shakira has already ordered Argentinian designer María Pryor to design her wedding dress. However, these rumors have been denied by Antonio's father, Fernando de la Rúa, and by Shakira herself in Mexico.
In June 2007, Latin American media speculated that the couple had finally split up and that Shakira was involved romantically with Irish actor Colin Farrell since both were seen in a Los Angeles disco. This rumor was immediately denied by Shakira's assistants, stating that she was invited by Penélope Cruz, who later introduced Colin Farrell to Shakira. On the previous days, Shakira and Antonio were seen in a restaurant in New York City, facing and denied the rumors one more time.
Shakira maintains an intense interest in history. She frequently studies the history and languages of the countries she visits. After her Oral Fixation tour ended in summer 2007, Shakira audited a class in Los Angeles at UCLA, on the History of Western Civilization. She used her middle and last names, Isabel Mebarak, and told the professor she was visiting from Colombia so as to avoid being recognized as a celebrity.
