Six years ago, Latin pop star Shakira made a transitional career move, releasing an English album to become an international sensation almost overnight. Her music is passionate and unique, combining reggae, traditional Andean music elements, pop and rock and mixing it with Latin sounds. The result is an appeal to music fans worldwide, as evidenced by her gargantuan success on both the top radio charts and music awards around the globe.

Canadian music fans quickly embraced the Colombia native, and so far four of her singles have dominated the charts, including a Spanish language song. Be sure the top Shakira downloads are making a rotation on your playlist.

“Whenever, Wherever” In 2001, Shakira stormed onto the Canadian music scene with the first single from her debut English album, Laundry Service. Peaking at #4 on the Canadian Singles Chart with her hit single, the song also garnered the Latin songstress a MuchMusic Canada Award for International Video.

“Underneath Your Clothes” The second single from Laundry Service was a huge hit reaching #1 on both the Canadian Singles Chart and the MuchMusic Canada chart.

“La Tortura” The 2005 hit was released in advance of Shakira’s sixth studio album, Fijacion Oral Vol. 1. It became the highest charting Spanish language song in Canada.

“Hips Don’t Lie” By far, Shakira’s most popular single to date, the song featured Haitian rapper Jean Wyclef, sampling his 2004 song “Dance Like This.” Hitting #1 on the Canadian Digital Singles in 2006, the video of the song won Best Choreography at the MTV Video Music Awards the same year while Favorite Pop Song at the People’s Choice Awards was given to the Latin songstress for this effort in 2007.

Up next for Shakira is three songs contributed to the songtrack of the film, Love in the Time of Cholera, an adaptation of the novel by the same title. Shakira is rumored to be collaborating with several artists on their albums as well as headed back to the studio for her next effort. Whatever the future holds, Canada is looking forward to more Shakira downloads from one of Latin music’s hottest stars.

There are few people in the world who don’t know who Shakira is. She has sold 30 million records world wide, producing countless hits and number one singles. But, in a recent interview with CNN, she admits that her driver to success may have been the family bankruptcy she experienced at just 8 years old. Her parents filed for bankruptcy in Barranquilla, Colombia, which ended up being hard for Shakira to embrace and understand.

Her parents took it upon themselves to show Shakira what life could be like had they not filed bankruptcy. They showed her a park where families who had been turned out to the street after not getting protection from foreclosure or help with any of their debt. “They wanted to show me another reality that was much worse than mine to make me gain perspective on things,” said Shakira of the experience. And it was that very experience that inspired Shakira to be the success she is today. She has even started her own foundation to help poor children in Colombia get an education and became a UNICEF goodwill ambassador because of the experience.

What 8 year old Shakira didn’t see is that her parents knew when to file bankruptcy. They got protection from foreclosure, credit card debt help, and relief from harassing creditors because they were responsible for the well-being of their family. It is this brave act by her parents that showed Shakira the protection that bankruptcy can provide and the opportunity it can give you to be a great success.

Now, as a Missouri and Illinois bankruptcy attorney at a St. Louis law firm, I can tell you that the rules for bankruptcy are much different than they were years ago (and on another continent!) but the feeling of being in overwhelming debt remains the same. The protection for other families in this situation has only improved and many other famous people who have filed for bankruptcy will agree that their filing was only a beginning for their future successes.

Where can you find more information on bankruptcy and how it can help you? You will find that most bankruptcy attorneys will talk to you for free but the best ones will give you free information before you set foot in an office. Make sure that any attorney that you are thinking or hiring to help you get out of crushing amounts of debt is prepared to offer you free articles, blogs, and publications full of the information you need to decide if bankruptcy is something to consider.