Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll

Shakira Isabel mebarak Ripoll was born on a wednesday, february 2,1977, in the Clinica Asuncion de Barranquilla (Colombia). Daughter of a respected jeweler of lebanese descent, Don William Mebarak Chadid, and his Colombian wife, Nidia Ripoll Torrado, The child was the couple's blessing and their only daughter. In naming the newborn, Nidia had shuffled through several names containing the letter "K" to go well with the sound of the "K" in Mebarak.

She had considered Karime and Katiuska but finally chose Shakira, an arabic name derived from the word "Shukram which means "Grace" the most literal translation is "woman full of Grace" , even though Shakira has said she identifies more with its second meaning, "Grateful."

Colombians said that the newborn was chubby and had curly hair, thick eyebrows, and a healthy set of lungs. What nobody knew was that those lungs would inscribe her name in Music History

Her father william mebarak was born in NY, but shortly after he was born his family moved to Barranquilla. Nidia ripoll Torrado, on the other hand was born in Barranquilla and has Catalan blood. When they Married, Don Willian was divorce and already had seven children from his previous marriage, so Shakira came into this world as the youngest child with quite a few siblings willing to spoil her. Don William has been a key figure in Shakira's formation and sibility.

When Shakira was a child, Nidia discovered that Shakira had a gift for writing. According to Colombian Columnists, Shakira Knew the Alphabet by the age of eighteen months, at three she knew how to read, and by the time she was four, she was ready for school. It seemed as though she Might have been a child prodigy. At least that's what Nidia believed, so she had her academically tested to determine if the little girl was a genius.

Shakira lived alone with her parents, though it was quite frequent for her half siblings to come over, be it to baby-sit or to play with her, since they live only a few blocks away. that may be why when Shakira talks about her family she includes her brothers and sisters (omitting the "Half") as well as her parents. Of all her father's children, Shakira never met her oldest half brother because he died before she was born.