Quotes from Shakira

I like to see people's eyes when I'm singing to them.

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.

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

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.

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

I know that youngsters want to find something in common with each other and feel closer to each other ideologically through bridges such as the Internet.

I tried to give my career a shot from Barranquilla, but the musicians would never show up. It was just not taken seriously.

Life is a soccer field, don't you think?

Providing all Latin-American children with the education and early childhood development that they need is in the best interest of all, so it has to be a priority for all of us, not only the government and civil society, but also the business sector.

When we were in the Dark Ages, it was a question of humanity somehow managing to forget about itself. We put God in the centre of society, and people forgot about their own nature and desires. There was a huge deal of repression.

I love food, and I'm a chronic over-orderer at restaurants.

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

In their 20s, women try to be somebody they're not and try to turn themselves into something different. Now I'm in my 30s; I'm very happy with who I am.

It's very difficult to think that you're with someone that you know, and all of a sudden you don't know them: it turns out that they betray you. It's painful, but it's best to turn the page.

Songwriting is such an intricate part of me as an artist and as a person; I couldn't just let someone else do it.

I am a person who has many dreams. But as soon as I accomplish one, I move on to the next. That's my fatal, absurd nature. Human beings are slaves to our dreams, and I am, too. Now I think I just want to share my musical proposal in its entire form.

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

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'm just a consequence of the great musical momentum and the great changes we are going through in the world.

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.

I'm convinced that promoting sport is an intelligent way of educating our children.

I would love to have eight or nine kids with Gerard - my own futbol team.

I have no idea where I want to go musically, but I'm fine that way. I don't need to be faithful to any concept, you know.

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.