Me llamo__________________________________________ Fecha___________Color_____________
La cultura: Shakira
Parte A: Read the following information about Shakira.
QUICK FACTS
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NAME: Shakira
OCCUPATION: Singer
BIRTH DATE: February 02, 1977 (Age: 36)
PLACE OF BIRTH: Barranquilla, Colombia
FULL NAME: Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll
AKA: Shakira Ripoll
AKA: Shakira
ZODIAC SIGN: Aquarius
BEST KNOWN FOR
Born and raised in Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira is a
hugely popular Colombian pop singer who is known for
the hits "Whenever, Wherever" and "Hips Don't Lie."
Shakira biography
Born in Colombia on February 2, 1977, hugely successfully Colombian pop singer and dancer
Shakira has won two Grammy Awards, seven Latin Grammy Awards and 12 Billboard Latin
Music Awards, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Known for hits like
"Whenever, Wherever" and "Hips Don't Lie," Shakira is the highest-selling Colombian artist of
all time, and the second most successful female Latin singer after Gloria Estefan. By 2012,
her U.S. album sales had reached nearly 10 million.
EARLY LIFE AND CAREER
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia. With a
Lebanese father and Colombian mother, Shakira honors both 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 3 million copies. The album featured her trademark sound, a blend of
Latin, rock and Arabic musical styles. Her follow-up record, Dónde Están Los Ladrones?
(1998), which translates as "Where are the thieves?,” reached the top of Billboard's Latin
charts. Not long after, Shakira won her first Grammy Award (best Latin pop album)
for Shakira: MTV Unplugged (2000).
With 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.
INTERNATIONAL STARDO M
While hugely popular throughout much of the rest of the world, Shakira had not yet achieved
a major record on the U.S. pop charts. In an attempt to increase her American fan base, in
1997, at the age of 20, the singer moved with her family to Miami, Florida, and taught herself
to write songs in English. There, she enlisted Emilio Estefan, of Gloria Estefan and the Miami
Sound Machine fame, to act as her manager and producer. In 2001, Shakira released her first
English-language album, Laundry Service, which quickly brought her the success in the United
States she had been waiting for. The album reached No. 3 on the charts, selling more than
200,000 copies in its first week of release. Laundry Service's big hits included "Whenever,
Wherever" and "Underneath Your Clothes." Shakira returned to the Top 10 of the albums
chart twice in 2005. She released the Spanish-language Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 in June of that
year, followed by the English-languageOral Fixation, Vol. 2 in November. Fijación Oral, Vol.
1 garnered Shakira her second Grammy, this time for best Latin rock/alternative album.
Touring extensively, Shakira went on to release two concert albums: 2007's Live and
2008's Oral Fixation Tour. In July 2009, she put out a new single, "She Wolf," from her
studio album of the same name. The album hit No. 15 on the Billboard charts in 2009, and went
platinum in 2010. Around the same time, her hit "Waka Waka" from 2010's Sale el Sol became
the theme song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Shortly thereafter, the now-global superstar headed on tour to promote her album.
By 2012, Shakira's U.S. album sales had reached nearly 10 million and her worldwide album
sales had reached more than 70 million. She is the highest-selling Colombian artist of all time,
and the second most successful female Latin singer after Gloria Estefan.
'THE VOICE'
In late 2012, Shakira was confirmed as one of the newest judges/coaches of NBC's popular
singing-competition show The Voice. Along with R&B singer-songwriter Usher, Shakira made
her Voice debut on the show's season 4 premiere, which aired on March 25, 2013. Replacing
Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green, Shakira and Usher joined returning judges/coaches Adam
Levine and Blake Shelton. Shakira quickly became popular with TV audiences. Both she and
Usher will not be part of the show's fifth season, however. Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo
Green will back for that season. But Shakira and Usher are expected to return for the
following round of The Voice. This way Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green will be able to take
another break from the show for their musical careers.
PERSONAL LIFE
Outside of 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 honored by the
United Nations' International Labor Organization for her philanthrophic efforts in 2010.
Shakira is in a relationship with Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué. The couple welcomed
their first child together on January 22, 2013. They named their son Milan, which means
"dear, loving and gracious" in Slavic; "eager and laborious" in Ancient Roman; and "unification"
in Sanskrit, according to a statement on Shakira's website.
(http://www.biography.com/print/profile/shakira-189151)
Parte B: Answer the following questions about Shakira.
1. In what city and state was Shakira born?
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2. What is the name of Shakira’s first English language music album?
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3. How old was Shakira when she wrote her first song?
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4. What is the Pies Descalzos Foundation?
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5. What kind of music does Shakira sing?
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6. Where did Shakira move to when she was 20 years old?
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7. Which of Shakira’s hits was the theme song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup?
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Parte C: Read the information following information about Colombia.
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
Colombia's people are as varied as its landscape. Most
citizens are descended from three ethnic groups: Indians,
African people brought to Colombia to work as slaves, and
European settlers. This rich cultural mix makes the
country's foods, music, dance, and art diverse and unique.
GEOGRAPHY
Colombia is nicknamed the "gateway to South America"
because it sits in the northwestern part of the continent
where South America connects with Central and North
America. It is the fifth largest country in Latin America
and home to the world's second largest population of Spanish-speaking people. The capital of
Colombia is Bogotá.
NATURE
With its vast rain forests, sprawling savannas, huge mountains, and 1,800 miles (2,900
kilometers) of coastline on two oceans, Colombia is one of the most biologically diverse
countries on Earth. Even though it takes up less than one percent of the world's land area,
about 10 percent of all animal species live in Colombia. Much of Colombia's forest habitats
have been undisturbed for many millions of years. This has given wildlife a chance to evolve
into many different species. Animals from jaguars to caimans to poison dart frogs all call
Colombia's jungles home. The mountains provide habitat for huge Andean condors and rare
spectacled bears, South America's only bear species. Thousands of years ago, Colombia was
nearly completely covered in jungle. But people have cleared most of the trees to create
farmland, and now only a handful of areas have their original forests. The government has set
up several national parks to protect habitats, but damage to the environment continues.
GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMY
Colombia has a long history of democracy. Like the United States, the country is run by a
president, who is elected every four years (Juan Manuel Santos). Laws are made by a House of
Representatives and a Senate. Colombia's biggest trading partner is the United States, which
buys 40 percent of the country's exports. Colombia sends a variety of items overseas,
including coffee, bananas, oil, coal, gold, platinum, and emeralds.
(http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find/colombia/)
Parte D: Answer the following questions about Colombia.
1. What three ethnic groups make up the Colombian population?
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2. What country is Colombia’s largest trading partner?
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3. What percent of the world’s animal species lives in Colombia?
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4. Why is Colombia named the "gateway to South America”?
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Parte E. Cierto/Falso Write the letter C for cierto and F for falso to indicate
if the statement is true or false.
1. ______ Colombia is the largest country in Latin America.
2. ______ Colombia is ran by president Juan Manuel Santos.
3. ______ The United States buys 5% of Colombia’s exports.
4. ______ The majority of Colombia is made up of large cities.
5. ______ African people were brought to Colombia to work as slaves.
Parte F. How does Colombia compare to the United States of America? What
are some similarities and differences between the two countries?
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