Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia. Her father was Lebanese and her mother Colombian a mixed race of Latino and Arabic.  At the age of 8, she wrote her first song and signed her fist record at age 13. After her first two albums, Shakira took the reins of her third album, becoming involved in every aspect of its production. Based on 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.