Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll is a Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, and record producer. Referred to as the "Queen of Latin Music", she has had a significant impact on the musical landscape of Latin America and has been credited with popularizing Hispanophone music on a global level, which in turn contributed to increased learning and use of the Spanish language worldwide. The recipient of various accolades, she has won 4 Grammy Awards and 15 Latin Grammy Awards, including 3 Song of the Year wins.
Shakira made her recording debut with Sony Music Colombia at the age of 14. Following the commercial failure of her first two albums, Magia (1991) and Peligro (1993), she rose to prominence with the next two, Pies Descalzos (1995) and Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998). Shakira entered the English-language market with her fifth album, Laundry Service (2001), which sold over 13 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling album of all time by a female Latin artist. Her success was further solidified with the Spanish-language albums Fijación Oral, Vol.