Things You Never Knew About the “Queen of Latin Music”, Shakira!

Known for songs like "Hips Don't Lie," Wherever," "Underneath Your Clothes," and many others, Shakira is often known as the "Queen of Latin Music." This Colombian singer was born on the 2nd of February, 1977. Her compelling voice and versatile singing styles made her immensely popular and gained her millions of fans worldwide. She is one of the world's best-selling music artists. She won three Grammy Awards and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. While she is extremely popular worldwide, a few things remain unknown to many of her fans. Did you know that, unlike many other celebrities, Shakira has no tattoos? Well, if you are eager to know more such interesting facts about her, then read on!

Her full name

Shakira's full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll. Her father's name is William Mebarak Chadid, and her mother's name is Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado. Her name "Shakira" means grateful. The word is of Arabic origin. Shakira is of Lebanese and Colombian descent.

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The iconic belly dance

One thing Shakira is known for, apart from her incredible singing, is dancing. Incredibly, her sizzling and iconic belly dancing moves. Ever wondered who did she get it from? Well, she learned Arabian belly dancing from her Lebanese grandmother and eventually perfected her skills to keep her Middle Eastern roots intact.

Her alternate career choice

Well, we definitely can't imagine Shakira choosing another career because we are so in love with everything she does. But if she were not a musician, she would have been an astronomer or a psychologist. And I am sure she would have excelled in those, as well!

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The Shakira statue

In Barranquilla, Colombia, a 16-foot tall metal statue stands in honour of the Grammy-winning singer Shakira. The inscription on the statue is a quote by Shakira, "When you look at me, think that you too can accomplish what you want"; this is meant to inspire the hundreds of tourists who visit the statue every day.

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"Laundry Service"

Shakira's debut album was titled "Laundry Service." Wondering why she chose this name? Well, she loves the fresh smell of clean laundry. The song "Whenever, wherever" that became extremely popular worldwide is from that album.

She was the world's 58th most powerful woman.

In 2014, when Forbes Magazine released "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women" list, Shakira was included in it. She was listed as the 58th most powerful woman in the world.

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She is multilingual

You are wrong if you thought Shakira is only good at singing and dancing. This Colombian singer is also good at learning languages. She is multilingual and can speak four languages fluently. The languages are - Spanish, Portuguese, English, and Italian.

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She loves painting fried eggs!

Mostly known for her singing and dancing talents, there's another thing that she enjoys doing. She loves painting. And when asked what she likes to paint, she had the most uncommon and most straightforward answer. She wants to paint fried eggs!

Owns a private island

At some point in time, we all have dreamed about or even have vacationed on an island. For some people, it is a dream to own a private island. Well, this dream is not a dream but a reality for celebrities like Shakira. The Colombian singer owns a remote island. It is 700 acres and is called Bonds Cay Island.

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Her adorable love life

Shakira's boyfriend is Gerard Piqué, a Spanish professional footballer. Surprisingly, they both share the same birthday, the 2nd of February. They met while shooting the video of the 2010 FIFA World Cup anthem "Waka Waka." Gerard had told the singer that he will win the World Cup so that he can see her again at Finals. And he did! Now, if this isn't romantic, I don't know what is! They went public about their relationship in 2011.

"Tiger mom"

Shakira is a loving mom who devotes her time to her children. This busy working mother knows how to balance work and family. She knows her priority and hence, is a very present mother. She calls herself "tiger mom." She and Gerard have two sons together. They are named Milan and Sasha.