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Shakira music biography continued...

to integrate her diverse cultures at the young age of eight as she began writing and composing music. Although driven by the Latin American style of music, she is also noted for rock-influenced approach. Some of her favorite rock bands include Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, the Police, the Cure, and Nirvana. The singer is also well-known for her Lebanese inspired belly dancing which she claims helped her overcome her shyness as a young teen.

Throughout her childhood, she competed in many talent competitions despite often being teased for having a forceful and goat-like voice. After being rejected from her school choir, she persisted and looked for other singing opportunities and began competing in a weekly television singing competition for children Vivan Los Niños (Long Live the Kids). Shakira soon became a young local celebrity in Baranquilla.

In 1990, Shakira met Monica Ariza, a local theatre producer, who was eager to expose her talent to the rest of Columbia. An audition for Sony Colombia was soon set up for Shakira with its executive Ciro Vargas, whom Ariza met during a flight to Bogotá. Although at first rejected by Sony's song and artistic director, Vargas was convinced that Shakira had tremendous potential and eventually pursued Sony's executives to sign the singer.

Magia (Magic), Shakira's 1991 debut album included songs written over the previous 6 years of her childhood. Unfortunately the album did not do as well as hoped for due to lack of consistency between recording and production. Her second album, Peligro (Danger), recorded in 1993 was slightly more successful than Magia. However, the inadequate success of Peligro inspired a dissatisfied Shakira to change the direction of her career by joining the cast of El Oasis, a Colombian Soap Opera.

Shakira soon returned to the music business with the release of her 1995 album Pies Descalzos (Bare Feet). This album allowed her to express control and musical style direction by incorporating Latin Pop, Rock and Roll, as well as Arabic. Many hit singles were born from this album such as "Estoy Aqui, "Dónde Estás Corazón?" "Antología," "Pienso en Ti," "Un Poco de Amor,", and "Se Quiere, Se Mata." Pies Descalzos reached number one in eight different countries eventually attaining platinum status in the United States.

The success of 1998's ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (Where Are the Thieves?) and its signature hit track, "Ojos Asi", are what triggered Shakira's crossover to the English Market. In collaboration with Gloria Estefan, she wrote and recorded English versions of her songs from ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones? The final product, Laundry Service, was released in 2001 and sold more than 13 million copies worldwide. The hits on this album include "Whenever, Wherever", "Underneath Your Clothes" , "Te Dejo Madrid" (I Leave You Madrid), "Objection (Tango)", and "The One".

In June of 2005, Fijación Oral Vol. 1 was released. The track "La Tortura" (The Torture) proved to be the most successful Latin single on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart at a record 25 weeks at number one. Fijación Oral Vol. 1 also won a Grammy in 2005 for best Latin Rock/Alternative album and 6 Latin Billboard awards in 2006.

Oral Fixation Vol. 2 was released in November of 2005 and is Shakira's second English album. The second single "Hips Don't Lie" (featuring Wyclef Jean) reached number one on the U.S Billboard Hot 100. Oral Fixation Vol. 2 was re-released in March of 2006.

In July 2008, Shakira led a political protest in the border city of Leticia during a military parade presided over by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. Followed by hundreds of thousands of fellow Colombians, Shakira was calling for the release of hostages being held by rebels in Colombia and an end to similar kidnappings in the region.