Grammy-winning Latina rock singer Shakira was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, on February 2, 1977. Her father is a Lebanese immigrant and her mother a native of Colombia. Shakira began her musical career at age 12 and quickly captured fans throughout Latin America. Singing in Spanish, she is often called the "Latin Alanis Morissette" due to her hard sounds. She won the 2001 Best Latin pop Grammy for her "MTV Unplugged" album.