Claim: Shakira is South American.

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll -LRB- -LSB- -LRB- t -RRB- ʃaˈkiɾa isaˈβel meβaˈɾak riˈpol -RSB- ; -LSB- langʃəˈki : rə -RSB- born 2 February 1977 -RRB- is a Colombian singer , songwriter , dancer , and record producer . Born and raised in Barranquilla , she began performing in school , demonstrating Latin American , Arabic , and rock and roll influences and belly dancing abilities . Shakira 's first studio albums , Magia and Peligro , failed to attain commercial success in the 1990s ; however , she rose to prominence in Latin America with her major-label debut , Pies Descalzos -LRB- 1996 -RRB- , and her fourth album , Dónde Están los Ladrones ? -LRB- 1998 -RRB- .   Shakira entered the English-language market with her fifth album , Laundry Service . Its lead single , `` Whenever , Wherever '' , became one of the most successful singles of 2002 . Her success was solidified with her sixth and seventh albums Fijación Oral , Volumen Uno and Oral Fixation , Volume Two -LRB- 2005 -RRB- , the latter of which spawned one of the best-selling songs of the 21st century , `` Hips Do n't Lie '' . Shakira 's eighth and ninth albums , She Wolf -LRB- 2009 -RRB- and Sale el Sol -LRB- 2010 -RRB- , received critical praise . Her official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup , `` Waka Waka -LRB- This Time for Africa -RRB- '' , became the biggest-selling World Cup song of all time . With over 1.3 billion views , it is one of the most-watched music videos on YouTube . Shakira served as a coach on the fourth and sixth seasons of the American version of The Voice in 2013 and 2014 , respectively . Her tenth album , Shakira -LRB- 2014 -RRB- , is preceded by its lead single , `` Ca n't Remember to Forget You '' .   Shakira has won many awards , including five MTV Video Music Awards , two Grammy Awards , eight Latin Grammy Awards , seven Billboard Music Awards , 28 Billboard Latin Music Awards and has been Golden Globe-nominated . She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , and has sold between 70 and 125 million records worldwide -LRB- depending on the source -RRB- , making her the best selling South American singer and one of the best selling Latin artists of all time . She carries out well-known philanthropic activities through charity work most notably through her Pies Descalzos Foundation . In 2014 , she was listed as the 58th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes .