Shakira, known as the “Latin Queen”, recently graced the cover of the latest issue of the UK magazine “Beauty Queen”. In the interview, she revealed that her experience growing up in poverty has shaped her into a resilient and driven individual, always striving to do better on stage.
The internationally renowned 47-year-old Colombian singer Shakira is a multi-talented artist, also known for her skills as a songwriter, dancer, music producer, and philanthropist. She shared with “Beauty Queen” last weekend that the trauma of her upbringing has been the driving force behind her perseverance. “Perhaps it’s a combination of where I was born, how I grew up, and the challenges I faced during my upbringing that have made me someone who never gives up,” she said.
Shakira stated, “I always have the motivation to pursue more. Every time I come off stage, I feel like I could do better. I never shy away from challenges and there are always new peaks waiting for me to climb.”
Among the traumas Shakira endured was bankruptcy. In 2008, she revealed to “News Weekly” that when she was 7 years old, her father’s jewelry business went bankrupt. She recalled not understanding what “bankruptcy” meant at the time. Her parents sent her to stay with relatives to cope with the financial crisis, and when she returned home, everything had changed. The air conditioner, color TV were sold, the bike she rode to school was gone, and the food became plain and scarce for survival.
“We went from middle class to poor almost overnight. From a 7-year-old’s perspective, it was hard to imagine anything worse, and I still vividly remember the despair I felt at that moment,” Shakira said.
Shakira’s parents found ways to help her see the family’s situation with the right mindset, hoping she would understand how fortunate they still were. She recalled, “One vivid memory is my father taking me to a park and pointing out the homeless children living there. They were the same age as me, their faces not much different from mine or my friends’, but these children had nothing at all.”
At the time, Shakira was unaware of the many families and children living in harsh conditions. “They lived in dirty environments, wore tattered clothes, walked barefoot, scavenged for food in garbage dumps, and many resorted to sniffing glue to alleviate the pain of survival. Despite our difficult circumstances, my parents wanted me to know that things could be worse. That moment, I promised myself that if I could help one day, I would,” she said.
Shakira debuted at the age of 13 and gained wealth and fame at 18. With a passion for charity, she established her own foundation in Colombia to help impoverished children. The foundation was named after her debut album “Pies Descalzos” (Bare Feet), aiming to help children break free from poverty.
In 2022, Shakira experienced the trauma of marriage. She and her ex-husband, 37-year-old Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué, have two sons, 11-year-old Milan and 9-year-old Sasha. After 12 years of marriage, they parted ways due to her husband’s infidelity, causing Shakira great pain.
Shakira did not disclose more details about her ex-husband to “Beauty Queen”, but she expressed her desire to instill loyalty and honesty in her children, hoping they will speak and act with integrity. She mentioned that she may not have been lucky in love, “but I have been compensated in other ways, by the love of my fans, my children, and true friends.”
Shakira is the most awarded Latin female singer in history, who has brought Latin music to the international market and achieved great success in the English music industry.