William Mebarak Chadid Greatly Influenced Shakira's Career - More about the Singer's Father

William Mebarak Chadid is the father of the famous Colombian singer known as the "Queen of Latin Music," Shakira. She is his only daughter from his relationship with her mother, Nidia Ripoll, and he is one of her most significant influences.

"Hips Don't Lie" singer Shakira made her recording debut at 13 and released her first album in 1991. However, her father's influence in her life had begun before she turned ten, and William Mebarak Chadid still influences his daughter to date.

William Mebarak Chadid is one of the people Shakira loves very much. Besides her father and children, she used to love her Spanish professional footballer ex-boyfriend Gerard Pique.

Shakira and Gerard had met when he was training for the 2010 World Cup, and he was part of her video "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)," which was chosen to be the World Cup's official song.

They started dating shortly after, and in 2013, Forbes named them one of the "World's Most Powerful Couples." However, in June 2022, the singer's publicist confirmed their split after the footballer allegedly cheated.

William Mebarak Chadid Is the Father of 8

William was born in New York City on September 6, 1931. His parents, Alberto Mebarak Spath and Isabel Chadid Baizer, have Lebanese ancestry, and he moved to Colombia when he was young.

On his 90th birthday in 2021, his daughter revealed in an Instagram post that he is a writer and a creative person, and he owned vast literary wealth and intellectual.

He can also make the people he meets feel unique and special. She said her father would look into their eyes, listen to them, advise them, connect, and love.

When William met Shakira's mother, he was already a divorcee with seven children from his previous marriage. He was a professional jeweler and vocational writer.

Unfortunately, he lost his first son even before the singer was born. However, the singer grew up with her parents alone. Even though her siblings had moved out, they lived close by and would spend time with her as a child.

His first daughter Lucy is a surgeon, followed by the lawyer Alberto, Moisés, Shakira's road manager Tonino, special education teacher Patricia, and Antonio and Edward.

William Mebarak Chadid's influence on Shakira's work

William had played a significant role in his daughter's upbringing and values. His passion for literature, intellectual things, and the artistic side of life exposed her to a creative world.

William is his daughter's inspiration and accomplice.

As a little girl, she wanted to be like her father. She started to imitate his gestures, and once she could write, the singer began writing poems that she would later recite for her parents.

William's love for big dark glasses also fascinated his daughter so much that she had a fear of them. To exorcise her fear, the singer had to put it down on paper.

His glasses inspired the singer's first poem, which she made into a song. The poem "Tus gafas oscuras," meaning "Your dark glasses," made it to her debut album "Magia."

William Mebarak Chadid's Health Problems

Shortly after his 90th birthday, William Mebarak Chadid, whose daughter recently revealed that she had split from her footballer ex-boyfriend, had a fall that landed him in the hospital.

After his fall, his children and grandchildren have given him all the support he needs. He spent some time at the Barcelona hospital before returning home.

While at home, William's famous last daughter began helping him restore his cognitive abilities after the trauma. In a post on Twitter, she wrote:

"With my dad discharged, already at home and on the way up, helping him with his cognitive stimulation after the trauma. Thank you all for wrapping us up with your immense love. ❣️"

In the video she shared, the singer was holding large cards with Spanish words in red for her father to read out loud. William has always been his daughter's inspiration and accomplice, and she never fails to show her love for him.