Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll's musical journey began just a few short years after her birth on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Atlantico, Colombia. Growing up, Shakira enjoyed watching her father create poetry on the family typewriter, and at age 4, she wrote her first one, "La Rosa de Cristal." Following the sudden death of her brother, Shakira penned her first song at age 8 and eventually turned to performing. She remembers her first performance as an impromptu dance on a restaurant table as a child, much to the delight of her family and fellow patrons.
