Famous

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla,

Colombia.

• With a Lebanese father and Colombian mother, Shakira honors

both her Latino and Arabic heritage in her music. She wrote her first song at the age of 8 and signed her first record deal at 13

• After her first two albums flopped, Shakira took the reins of her third album, becoming involved in every aspect of its production. Released in 1996, Pies Descalzos, meaning "bare feet," sold more than 3 million copies.

• The album featured her trademark sound, a blend of Latin, rock and Arabic musical styles. Her follow-up record, Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (1998), which translates as "Where are the thieves?", reached the top of Billboard's Latin charts. Not long after, Shakira won her first Grammy Award (best Latin pop album) for Shakira: MTV Unplugged (2000).

• With the success of her albums, Shakira became a music superstar in the Spanish-language markets, known for her strong vocals and incredible hip-shaking belly dance moves.

• Outside of her busy career, Shakira created the Pies Descalzos Foundation to help children in her native Colombia receive a quality education. She is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and was honored by the United Nations' International Labor Organization for her philanthrophic efforts in 2010

• Currently, maintains a relationship with Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué, made public since early 2011 and confirmed by the singer, March 29, 2011 via Twitter.

• In September 2012, Shakira and Piqué confirmed she was expecting her first child, giving birth on January 22, 2013. The couple announced in a statement his birth: "We are happy to announce the birth of Milan Pique Mebarak, son of Shakira Mebarak and Gerard Piqué, born on January 22 at 21:36 pm in Barcelona, Spain. "Curiously, it can be mentioned that Shakira and Pique are birthday the same day, but takes 10 years apart