Shakira has opened up about being the target of “uncomfortable” stereotypes during the early days of her career due to her multicultural background.
In a candid interview in the November 2021 issue of Glamour magazine, the ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ hitmaker reflected on the prejudice against her by the music industry because of her Colombian and Lebanese descent.
“I suffered more from other kinds of prejudice, like being Colombian,” Shakira explained.
“I remember when I had my first big break in music outside Colombia, there were many double entendre comments about what it meant to be Colombian, and usually associated with drug trafficking, all of that. It’s like, we’re always the joke, it was uncomfortable.
“I knew that there was a lot to be done and knew that I had to prove a lot of people wrong. I knew that I had to show the world a more truthful side of my country.
Shakira continued, “I needed to really share for the rest of the world what us Latinos and Colombians were about. And I’ve always had some sort of social weight on me. I represent so many minorities. I’m half Lebanese. I’m also Colombian.”
Despite the unjust prejudice, the superstar went on to become a best-selling artist, selling a whopping 75 million records throughout her career – something she credits to her diverse background.
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“I grew up making music that had a little bit of many different influences,” she explained.
“It’s been fun to experiment and play with so many different genres of music and influences, but at the same time, I feel that deep inside it’s a huge responsibility as well,” Shakira added.
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