Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977 in Columbia. As a pre-teen, she began to receive some local recognition. She recorded her first album (Magia) with Sony in 1991 at the age of 15. Her third album, Pies Descalzos (Bare Feet) made her a star in Latin America, and her career gradually continued to snowball. Her first English language album, Laundry Service, was recorded in 2001. Her second English album, Oral Fixation Vol 2, produced her first number one single in the United States - "Hips Don't Lie."