Shakira quotes

Freddy Demann (Shakira's Manager) is a man that knows the world of music. And I know that I am in good hands.

Because of you, I'm running out of reasons to cry.

Sometimes, I ask myself how any other singer could substitute the inspiration of god in their songs

I feel a real sense of duty to use the voice and the platform I've been afforded by my fame to speak out for those whose voices don't get a chance to be heard.

If you can prove the existence of God, it can only be proven through love.

I don't go out without make up. I'm a woman, you know.

After all, by providing early access to medicine, nutrition and stimulation, early childhood development creates lifelong improvements in health, cognitive development, school achievement, and social equality.

Of course for a Colombian girl it was always impossible to even imagine becoming an international popstar, but my dream became reality.

My little boy (Sasha) is now one-year-old and that makes it easier for me to go back to the studio and work on creating new music.

I can't wait for the time when curves and a little belly fat will be sexy again!

Walking gets too boring, when you learn how to fly.

I want some day to be able to love with the same intensity and unselfishness that parents love their children with.

I'm someone who has always been very stubborn and strong-willed. I never gave up.

People think I like to expose my body. But I don't. It's just because the dance moves require it.

It doesn't matter if you are a musician, a business leader, a president or a student. We all have a responsibility to give back.

The schools play an important role when it comes down to protecting children against violence.Violence is one of the principal reasons why children don't go to school. It's also one of the causes of the alarming school dropout rates.

My music career has been very rewarding, but success never came easily.

You have to be very strong and tough-minded if you want to survive.

Sensual is everything that refers to the delight of the senses. And that's what artists do, is stimulate the senses in any possible way.

I think that we see war as a virtual thing and we even get to believe that bombs fall on top of cardboard cutouts and stuff like that. They don't. They kill real people, real children, real mothers and millions of innocent people.

I never went to the gym before in my life. But, at 32, I notice that my body responds negatively to bad food, so I must make double the effort.

They just want to continue playing their little game of power. And I feel that us people have the responsibility and also the obligation to demand to our leaders to give us the pacifist solutions. To give us a world in peace.

I consider myself a laborer, building my career brick over brick under the sun.

I love reading about history. Sometimes, I feel I was born in the wrong era. There was more creativity in the air when people were still discovering new worlds.

I'm lucky to have family around me. Otherwise, I'll be taking the risk of falling in love with myself.

Education is literally the difference between success and failure, or even life and death for many children.

I'm lucky to have family around me. Otherwise, I'll be taking the risk of falling in love with myself. But there are always people close to me who I trust, who will scold me and pull my ears if I need it. Fame isolates people from reality. That happens to many artists, and I don't want it to happen to me.

My main hope for my children would be that whatever profession or calling they choose in life, that they pursue it with passion.

My man prefers meat over the bone.

The music teacher thought I sang like a goat. It was kind of devastating. A few months after that, I participated in a music contest and won. I took my little trophy to school and rubbed it in his nose. I said to him, "What do you say now?"

The first years of a child's life are too important for a child's future - their development, earnings, behavior, and health - for anyone to ignore.

I have such a respect and fascination for dance. I can be light as air or stay grounded. Dance is really another universe.

A good fragrance should have a certain personality that makes people identify the scent with you.

I was unaware of the dispute in Brooklyn. I would never knowingly wear any clothes or support any company who produced clothing with alleged wage and labor violations.

It's incredibly liberating to spend an hour talking to someone and not caring about what you sound like. It's about understanding myself. Sometimes I'll speak to my therapist for an hour a day. It's become part of my routine.

My family endured a big crisis after my father's business went bankrupt and we went from having a comfortable life to having virtually nothing. I saw from that moment how fragile and precarious life can be and you have to work very hard not just to survive but also to accomplish something in life and fulfill your dreams.

Music has given a voice to many generations, and I think we, as artists, can be a part of creating a better world.

Women should feel happy with their bodies and not live with the stigma that comes from not looking like models in fashion magazines.

Barcelona is a great city and Spain is a great country to live in.

I always had the intuition, even as a little child, that I was called for a big project.

Our leaders are lacking love, and love is lacking leaders.

Writing songs has a therapeutic effect, and it either kills off love or wins the heart of the lover.

We can work together across countries and cultures like never before through the Internet and social media. Everyone can make a difference, whether it is by building a school, sponsoring a child's education, volunteering at their local school, or working to hold leaders accountable for their promises.

Education affects every major challenge we face in society. It creates economic growth, paves the way for peace and stability and helps erase the legacy of marginalization.

I consider myself a survivor more than anything else.

In this life, to earn your place you have to fight for it.

I don't think I would want my children to enter into my profession. There's a lot of stress and so much competition. There are easier things you can do with your life.

I just want to grow old with a man who takes care of me, and I want to eventually have kids and want them to be good children to me. Just want to be treated nice and have respect.

We have to demand that governments live up to their promises and make education a reality for every child.

As women, we need to embrace our bodies and be confident with who we are.

A poor child who receives high-quality early childhood development is 40 percent less likely to need special education, twice as likely to attend college and dramatically more likely to survive childhood.

My songs are the reflection of how I think and how I feel in that moment. But I'm conscious of the fact that artists have a responsibility before the masses and they have to take care with their words.

Obviously, our business leaders yield enormous influence on our political leaders, and they have a duty to use that influence for the greater good. But beyond that, the private sector depends on having healthy, educated and productive workers.

My hope is that every country in Latin America will make a significant commitment to supporting early childhood development programs.

We know that many boys and girls leave school because of poverty, because they have to work. However, there are an important number of children who abandon their studies because of the abuses they're subject to by teachers and their own parents.

I'm more afraid of marriage than death.

I think this generation can play a very important role. If we act now, this could be the first generation to witness universal education.

I prefer an ugly truth to a pretty lie. If someone is telling me the truth that is when I will give my heart.

You're a song written by the hands of God.

I'm not a trained dancer, but I grew up in a culture that revolves around dance.

Nationalism is cured by traveling.

I remember the first time I saw the 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video. I will never forget that day. I just wanted to see Kurt Cobain's face. I had a feeling he was very cute. But, I couldn't see his face. When I finally did see him, he was even cuter than I imagined!

Live your life to the fullest.

I apply the same amount of dedication to being a mom as I do to my music...

There's no better makeup than self-confidence.

I'm Colombian and nothing will change that.

I admire a person who, for the love of art, is able to take off their clothes in front of a camera. But I'm not capable, I'm too cowardly for that.

I started the Pies Descalzos foundation in Colombia when I was 18, and since then I have been very involved in the crusade for education.

My team and I have reunited two elements that coexist with difficulty: respect and affection, because when they love you they don't respect you and when they respect you they don't love you.

I have always loved performing.

I know what it's like to feel that fear and the need of affirmation and appreciation. To build confidence in yourself is the toughest thing.

There is no other investment that has the kind of social multiplier effect that early education has. It is an incredible thing to nurture and watch grow and spread.

I grew up in Barranquila, Colombia, and I spent most of my childhood dreaming about becoming a singer.

I'm a firm believer that education is the most efficient tool we have to make people aware and make our children aware, and to protect them from the scourge of the century, which is AIDS

In the full light of day, I don't want to think about the sunset.

My dad is a writer, and to see him always in front of a typewriter gave me the inspiration to write. He was my idol, my hero. I wanted to be just like him.

I've always thought of myself as a woman who works hard, believes in herself, and wants to accomplish as much as possible.

I think my dad is the only Arabic descendent who is an unsuccessful businessman.

Sexy is good as long as it's not the main recipe. It's an ingredient. I would not appear in a leotard in a video if I [did] not have other dimensions.

I'm like a mosquito, I love humidity. I don't sweat.

The goal of my philanthropic work has always been to make sure that every child has a chance to live up to his or her potential. That means our work won't be done until every child has access to quality education from early childhood to adulthood.

In 2006 I was asked to sing at the World Cup in Germany, and in 2010 I was fortunate enough to be asked again.

At the current pace of change, we won't have universal access to education in 100 years, let alone five, and that is unacceptable.

It's not easy to work with me, I recognize that. It's not easy if those people aren't as perfectionistic as I am.

The music, of course, is important, but it's the energy that I bring to it that I think the public appreciate the most.

Everyone can know what is in my heart because I find it hard to conceal myself.

You collect impressions from people, from life, from your own daydreams.

Half of the world lives on [about] $2 a day. If there is a hungry kid in the world, we shouldn't consider ourselves more evolved than homo habilis.

In tough economic times, we have to make every dollar count, and studies have shown a return of up to $17 for every dollar invested in early childhood.

Becoming a mother has taught me to simply things and also to appreciate being at home more.

We have to promote human solidarity, avoid indifference, and play a part with society in the solution of the problem of violence.

Even after I got some recognition and success, I still had to work hard and prove myself.

By giving every child a fair start, we are improving our collective future, including the private sector's ability to find talent in a very competitive global marketplace.

For several years I worried a lot about protecting an image, but today, I have understood that the image cannot be preconceived.

I thank God that I'm a product of my parents, that they infected me with their intelligence and energy for life, with their thirst for knowledge and their love. I'm grateful that I know where I come from.

My hips don't lie and I don't lie either!

My brain, I believe, is the most beautiful part of my body.

You can't achieve anything in life without a small amount of sacrifice.

I've met dedicated people from all sectors of society who are committed to giving children the tools they need for a better future. I'm always impressed by the passionate young leaders I meet. As the pace of change accelerates, so do the challenges we face. However, the chances to solve them increase too.

I'm proud that I've been able to work with other artists to make sure that the smallest voices - the voices of our children - have a chance to be heard. Artists can reach, inspire, and motivate young people and leaders in a powerful way.

I am trying to make my accent so it won't bother anyone, but I am not going to drive myself crazy trying to pretend I am an American girl when I am from Colombia.

Education spurs growth and unlocks potential. After all, a single year of primary education creates a 10 to 20 percent increase in a woman's wages later in life. Education lowers the risk of disease and decreases the likelihood that a child will fall into violence and crime. And a child born to a literate mother is 50 percent more likely to survive past age five. No country has achieved sustained growth without at least 40 percent literacy for its adults.

The worst mistake of a woman is to go to the kitchen, because then she never gets out of there.

Europe is a very different place from my native country of Colombia and my children are growing up in a very urban setting which is nothing like when I was growing up and would be able to play barefoot in the street. But we have a very good life.

If I could, I'd live in the nude, like Eve in paradise.

I'm happy. I have a man who makes me happy. And a family, which is what I most wanted in life.

I can be like a lioness when defending my people.

I have never had one moment of stage fright and performing has always been a huge thrill and source of enjoyment for me. It's part of my personality.

I think a fragrance is all about sensations and imagery, and can evoke visions, feelings and thoughts.

I'm a perfectionist in recovery. I'm trying to deal with that monster inside of me that wants to do everything right. Or better than right.

I'm quite proud of my rear... I don't obsess over my flaws, because I see my body as a whole. Besides, I think men appreciate confidence more than perfection.

I admire Madonna because she always did whatever she felt like doing. She went through some controversial periods when people rejected her, but she kept on reinventing herself.

I think it's my energy and love of life that has been the real key to my fame and success.

You want to be skinny and have a good body? You have to work out every day and say no to certain foods.

I always believed that women have rights and that there are some women that are intelligent enough to claim those rights. There are some others that are stupid enough not to.

Scars remind me of just how far that I've come.

Fame isolates people from reality. That happens to many artists, and I don't want it to happen to me.

Breastfeeding has been one of the best experiences of my life. I love it! I can't stop! I think I'm going to breastfeed him until he goes to college! I'm hooked!

I believe education is the key. As an activist and a child of the developing world, I witnessed education's power to transform lives.

Writing in English was a major challenge. I didn't want other songwriters to write for me. I wanted to preserve the spirit of my songs in Spanish. I am the same Shakira in English as I am in Spanish.

I live for freedom, and freedom is a lie.

It doesn't bother me to talk about my private life, it doesn't bother me to talk about anything. My life is like a glass of water, transparent.

I love to shake my hips, my hair, and my boobs. It's all about having fun and sharing your spirit with other people.