Shakira Success Story

In the strict Catholic environment of Colombia, Shakira sought out opportunities to perform for her friends. She joined the school choir at her school and performed for the nuns, but was rejected a year later due to her emphasized vibrato. Despite being cast out of the school choir, she continued to perform informally for school students.

Career

At age ten, Shakira started performing in local theater productions. She was spotted by a local theater producer and taken aside after one of her shows. He offered her a chance at becoming a star and recommended she audition for Ciro Vargas, a leading record executive at Sony’s Colombia branch, which was based in the capital, Bogota.

Shakira with Rihanna

Shakira impressed the musical talent scouts at her audition, winning a contract for three albums at the age of thirteen. Her first album, Magia, was released right after her thirteenth birthday, selling over one thousand copies and securing a reasonable amount of airplay on Colombian radio stations in both Bogota and her hometown.

A second album followed, hampered by the same production and promotional issues as her first effort. Later in career, Shakira would distance herself from her first two albums, claiming that they were poorly produced and largely planned outside of her own creative control.

"My brain, I believe, is the most beautiful part of my body - Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll - Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll." - Shakira

Her third album, however, was a success. With a $100,000 production budget and a previously untouchable level of creative control, Shakira produced Pies Descalzos, an incredibly successful album that reached the number one spot in numerous Spanish musical charts. The album reached platinum status just one year later in 1996.

Shakira - VEVO News