Singer, songwriter. Born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia. With a Lebanese father and Colombian mother, Shakira honors her Latino and Arabic heritage in her music. She wrote her first song at the age of 8 and signed her first record deal at 13.
After her first two albums flopped, Shakira took the reins of her third album, becoming involved in every aspect of its production. Released in 1996, Pies Descalzos, meaning "bare feet," sold more than three million copies. The album featured her trademark sound, a blending of Latin, rock, and Arabic musical styles. The follow-up record, Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (1998), which translates as "Where are the thieves?," reached the top of Billboard's Latin charts. Based on the success of her albums, Shakira became a music superstar in the Spanish-language markets, known for her strong vocals and incredible hip-shaking belly dance moves.
While hugely popular in much of the rest of the world, Shakira had not yet achieved a major record on the U.S. pop charts. She moved to Miami with her family to further her goal, and taught herself to write songs in English. She enlisted Emilio Estefan, of Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine fame, to act as her manager and producer. Her first English-language album, Laundry Service (2001), provided Shakira with the success in the United States that she longed for—the album was No. 3 on the charts, selling more than 200,000 copies in the first week. The songs "Whenever, Wherever" and "Underneath Your Clothes" were both big hits.
Shakira returned to the top 10 of the albums chart in 2005 twice. She first released the Spanish-language Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 in June, which was followed in November by English-language Oral Fixation, Vol. 2. She received the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album for Fijación Oral, Vol. 1, her second time winning such an honor. Previously, she had won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album for 2000's Shakira: MTV Unplugged.
Touring extensively, Shakira released two concert albums: 2007's Live and 2008's Oral Fixation Tour. In July 2009, Shakira released the new single, "She Wolf," from her studio album of the same name. The album went platinum in 2010, and hit No. 15 on the Billboard charts in 2009. Her hit "Waka Waka" from her 2010 album Sale el Sol became the theme song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The global superstar headed on tour shortly after to promote her album.
In addition to her busy career, Shakira created the Pies Descalzos Foundation to help children in her native Colombia. She is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and was awarded a UN International Labor Organization medal in 2010 for her philanthrophic efforts.
Alecia "Pink" Moore was born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and later raised in Philadelphia. Her parents James and Judy Moore divorced when she was very young. As a child all Pink wanted out of life was to become a singer, and she was driven by the music of Madonna, Mary J. Blige, 4 Non-Blondes, Janis Joplin, Billy Joel, and Whitney Houston. Pink was a very unique teenager, and went through phases as a skateboarder, hip-hopper, and even a gymnast. She spent several years mingling with the club scene in Philadelphia, singing guest spots and performing for talent shows. At the age of 13, Pink was asked by a local Philly DJ to sing back-up for his rap group, Schools Of Thought. A short time later, Pink was discovered by a record executive and joined a female R&B group. When that didn't work out, Pink signed to LaFace records and began her solo career. In spring 2000 Pink released her debut, "Can't Take Me Home." She co-wrote many songs and watched it go multi-platinum by the year's end. Her debut included the Top 10 hit "There You Go", which was certified a gold single. 
