Shakira

“I was five years old; I got addicted to being on stage. I felt like it was the most wonderful place on Earth, performing in front of an audience, who in this case were a bunch of classmates, kids my age.”

“I have gone through a lot of things, everything that you can imagine in life, but the best has been Gerard and Milan.”

“The relationship I have with my Hispanic fans is very deep and intricate.”

“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.”

“I do feel that I have to use my voice for those that don't have one. I have to do the best I can in my own work to represent my culture, represent the women of my country, of Latin America. What we stand for. What we're made of.”

“What happens is once you start to understand football, you realise that it's not just about the physical side of the game and chasing after a ball. It's a strategic sport which requires a lot of intelligence. It's a very mental game.”

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

“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.”

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

“I'm more afraid of marriage than death.”

“The truth is that I'm more afraid of marriage than of death.”

“A man's car is like an extension of their ego and their manhood.”

“Success happened little by little for me. I tasted the flavor of fame in small doses: I started at 10 years old when I won a music contest; I was performing at birthday parties, company meetings.”

“I enjoy taking part in footballing events that are for social causes because, in my view, inspiring children through sport is a way of keeping their bodies and minds healthy as well as helping nurture their intelligence and ability to relate with others.”

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

“I do take advantage of, you know, feeling sensual and feeling sexy. And I think that is tremendously empowering and is not diminishing in any way. I fell that any woman who is in control, who is in touch with her femininity and sensuality, is a woman that is empowered.”

“Always I was dreaming of a record contract. From 10 to 13, it was all I could think of. I worked hard for this dream. Nobody could say I didn't try.”

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

“I actually support President Obama's initiatives on early childhood. He has appointed me as a commissioner to consult his administration on educational excellence for Hispanics in the U.S. We try to find ways to improve the education system for Hispanics in America, to achieve excellence.”

“A kid cannot learn with an empty stomach.”