Shakira has always been one of my favorite artists. However, when I studied abroad in Barcelona two years ago, I found a whole new respect for this incredible Latina artist. I felt like everywhere I turned, a Shakira song was playing or her face was plastered all over Spanish billboards and magazines.

The Spanish culture truly embraced Shakira both as a singer and as an icon, and I didn’t really understand why until I researched her myself. It was at that point that I realized how inspiring Shakira truly is and that she is the definition of a Latina role model.

shakShakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, more commonly known as Shakira, was born in 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia (the same place as Sofia Vergara!). Not only is she an outstanding singer with a distinct Latino tone, but she is also a songwriter, dancer, record producer, choreographer, and a model. In addition to her many occupational talents, she also speaks a number of languages including Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian, French, and Catalan. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the guitar, harmonica, and drums. Very impressive, if you ask me!

She first appeared in the Latin American music scene in the early 1990’s. However, she had a difficult time breaking into the American music scene until she started to produce her own brand of music. In 2002, she came out with her first English single “Whenever, Wherever” and was propelled to superstardom shortly thereafter. One of my favorite Shakira songs is “Hips Don’t Lie,” which came out in 2006. Her music video can be seen below

However, I did not choose to feature Shakira on my blog solely because she is an amazing performer and singer. I selected Shakira because she is an inspiring Latino celebrity who has chosen to truly make a positive difference in the world. In 1997, Shakira founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation (Barefoot Foundation), a Colombian charity that aims to help poor children in Colombia attend school. Shakira believes that every child deserves the right to a quality education, and she did whatever she could to help as many Colombian children as possible. The foundation has since expanded to countries all over the world such as Haiti and South Africa.

Shakira easily recognized that the economic situation in Colombia was not ideal. This meant that many children did not even have access to schools based on their location in Colombia or their socio-economic status. The graph below from Audience Scapes sнows the percentages of Colombian children who received some level of education in 2009, depending on their financial status.

In all three economic classes, the percentages of education are very low and Shakira felt she could not just sit by and do nothing. Choosing to invest in Colombian education and the future of Colombian youth is very admirable, and Shakira was able to instill much hope in the future of the country through her foundation.

Shakira’s story is inspiring to me because she did not allow herself to become a victim of her circumstances. She grew up in the developing world and didn’t have helpmuch money during her childhood. Not only was she able to make it out of her impoverished neighborhood, but she actually used her success to help others that are in the same situation she once found herself in. Selfishness is not a quality that Shakira possesses, and I find it incredibly admirable that she chose to put so much time and money into this non-profit organization.

I have always admired Shakira because of her talent, but my respect for her grew exponentially when I learned about her humanitarian nature. She is one of the most giving celebrities I have ever come across, and she is truly an inspiration to the Latino community as a whole.