Shakira Wasn’t Allowed to Join Choir as a Kid Because Her Voice Was Too ‘Disruptive’
School can be a breeding ground for lessons in humility — both for teachers and students. It’s unimaginable today that someone wouldn’t want Shakira to perform for them, let alone with them in an ensemble. But according to the award-winning singer, her music teacher made it abundantly clear that she wasn’t welcome in her school’s choir.
While it might have been just a minor roadblock for the young star at the time, it’s safe to say that music teacher probably feels differently now.
Shakira started performing at a young age
Though Shakira is now a global phenom and multiple Grammy award winner, she started with humble roots in Colombia, participating in talent competitions and writing songs by age 10. She was signed to a record deal with Sony at age 13, according to Britannica. She acted in a Latin soap opera called El Oasis between her early album releases and struck it big with several hits from her third album, Pies descalzos.
The artist released her first U.S. hit, “Hips Don’t Lie,” in 2006. And her career has only continued to flourish with more chart-topping singles, a spot as a judge on The Voice, and a 2020 Super Bowl halftime performance with Jennifer Lopez.
Not being in the choir was a ‘huge frustration’ for Shakira
Despite her world-renowned fame now, not everyone was as enthralled with Shakira when she was growing up. The singer told Jimmy Fallon in a recent appearance on his talk show that when she was in school, her music teacher wouldn’t allow her to sing in the choir.
“He thought I was too disruptive for the choir because my voice was too strong,” the “She Wolf” singer explained. “He never let me in the choir. And it was a huge frustration for me.”
Shakira also said that her classmates used to bully her about her voice, saying she sounded like a goat. “I hope it was a cute goat,” she joked with Fallon.
Fallon responded with the luxury of hindsight, now that Shakira is a world-class performer. “Now you are the G.O.A.T., so there you go,” Fallon said. “You did it. You showed them.”
Shakira’s parents encouraged her to keep pursuing her musical dreams
In the interview, Fallon asked Shakira if the bullying about her voice early on made her reconsider a music career. However, Shakira said that her parents played a pivotal role in encouraging her to pursue her goals — and not change a thing about her voice in the process.
“My parents actually reinforced and reaffirmed my identity as a singer,” she said. Shakira said that her father told her to “protect” the vibrato in her voice — the variations in pitch that can produce a depth to how the singing sounds.
“He always said that a voice without vibrato is not worth it. It’s not a voice, you know?” Shakira said of her father’s encouragement. “And so I kept my vibrato, and that’s kind of my signature. My goat signature.”
Now that she’s proven her singing talents are unparalleled, Shakira will lend her expertise as a dancer to NBC’s new dance competition series Dancing With Myself. She serves as executive producer and a judge for the series, which premieres on May 31 at 10 p.m. EST.
