She is known throughout the world, mainly for her music and dancing but by some for her past relationship to a certain Spanish footballer.
Where Shakira's story really began - and the stunning place she calls home today
Born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, the singer-songwriter has an instantly recognisable dance style, and makes headlines wherever she goes, but now with just a single name. A devoted mother to her children Milan and Sasha, who she shares with ex-partner, former Barcelona soccer player Gerard Piqué, she swapped her family home for Europe and then travelled back across the Atlantic following an eventful time. And she wants to do what she can to settle.
Shakira’s Colombian roots
Born on Feb. 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira began her music career at a young age and gained prominence in Latin America in the 1990s. Her position as a global star was cemented with her fifth studio album, ‘Laundry Service,’ released in 2001, which featured the hit singles ‘Whenever, Wherever’ and ‘Underneath Your Clothes.’ Since then, she has become one of the most recognisable and influential figures in the music industry, winning numerous awards including multiple Grammy Awards and Latin Grammy Awards. She was also the face of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with Waka Waka.
Beyond her music career, Shakira is also known for her philanthropic work, particularly through her Barefoot Foundation (Fundación Pies Descalzos in Spanish), which focuses on providing education and nutrition to impoverished children in Colombia and other parts of the world.
Oh, and then there’s the moment her headline-grabbing piqued (sorry!). Yes, her relationship with then Barcelona player Gerard Piqué caught the imagination of millions and the break up, followed by subsequent targeted lyrics, even more so.
Shakira swaps Barcelona for Miami
After some troubled times in the Catalan city Barcelona, Shakira decided to take her boys closer to her roots and they have settled in Miami, Florida. And she seems pleased with the decision, if a recent Hola magazine interview is anything to go by.
“I’ve never seen my children so happy,” the now 47-year-old said. “They go to their extracurricular activities without anyone chasing them around, unlike in Barcelona where we had paparazzi at the door every day.
“They lead a free and normal life as two ordinary children, not as celebrity kids.”
Shakira is back at another World Cup
The 2026 World Cup isn’t Shakira’s first return to the tournament stage though. In addition to 2010’s “Waka Waka”, she also performed “La La La (Brazil 2014)”.
With “Dai Dai,” she becomes one of the few artists ever to headline multiple World Cup cycles, and arguably the most closely associated with FIFA’s musical identity in the modern era.
World Cup songs aren’t just background music. They shape how fans remember the tournament. “Waka Waka” became synonymous with 2010. Now, “Dai Dai” arrives at a time when the World Cup is expanding, the U.S. market is more important than ever, and global music is more interconnected than ever.
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