Shakira is the Colombian singer/songwriter whose album Pies Descalzos (1995) spawned several hit singles, including "Estoy Aqui" and "Donde Estas Corazon." In 1998 she released Dónde Están Los Ladrones, a popular and critical success and the beginning of a close working relationship with Gloria and Emilio Estefan. With her South American background, Middle Eastern heritage and American rock-influenced pop, Shakira rapidly became an international star and one of the top Latin recording artists by the end of the 1990s. In 2001 she released her first recording with English lyrics, Laundry Service, which included the hit "Whenever, Wherever."