SHAKIRA BIOGRAPHY AND MUSIC ALBUMS

Shakira Mebarak (full name: Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll) was born February 2, 1977, in Barranquilla, Colombia, into a poor family. Her mother was a native Colombian and her father was of Lebanese descent, and so as a child Shakira soaked up music from both cultures; she also listened heavily to English-language rock & roll, listing her favorite bands in later interviews as Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, the Police, the Cure, and Nirvana. Shakira wrote her first song at age eight, began entering (and winning) talent competitions at age ten, and started learning the guitar at age 11; one story runs that around this age, she was kicked out of her school choir for singing too forcefully. In 1990, at age 13, Shakira moved to Bogotá in hopes of pursuing a modeling career, but wound up signing a record deal with Sony's Colombian division instead. Her 1991 debut album, Magia (Magic), was comprised of songs she'd written over the past five or six years, including some of her earliest efforts. Although it didn't break internationally, the record started to make a name for her in her home country. Dissatisfied with the pop inclinations of the follow-up, 1993's Peligro (Danger), Shakira changed direction for a time, joining the cast of the Colombian soap opera El Oasis in 1994. 

After achieving superstardom throughout Latin America, Colombian-born Shakira became Latin pop's biggest female crossover artist since Jennifer Lopez broke down the doors to English-language success. Noted for her aggressive, rock-influenced approach, Shakira maintained an extraordinary degree of creative control over her music, especially for a female artist; she wrote or co-wrote nearly all of her own material, and in the process gained a reputation as one of Latin music's most ambitiously poetic lyricists. When she released her first English material in late 2001, she became an instant pop sensation, thanks to her quirky poetic sense and a sexy video image built on her hip-shaking belly-dance moves. 

When Shakira returned to recording in 1995, she asserted more control over the direction of her music, and worked more rock & roll rhythms -- as well as occasional Arabic tinges -- into her Latin pop material. The first results were Pies Descalzos (Bare Feet), which was initially released in 1995; a slow seller at first, the album gradually caught on thanks to the rock-tinged single "Estoy Aqui," which became a hit all over Latin America, as well as Spain. After that breakthrough, Pies Descalzos just kept spinning off singles: "Dónde Estás Corazón?," "Antología," "Pienso en Ti," "Un Poco de Amor," "Se Quiere, Se Mata." The album hit number one in eight different countries and eventually went platinum in the U.S. as well; Shakira toured for nearly two years promoting it (she finally left El Oasis in 1997). 

Seeking to build on her success, Shakira signed Emilio Estefan -- Gloria's husband and a highly successful music-biz insider -- as her manager and producer. The move paid off when her follow-up album, 1998's Dónde Están los Ladrones? (Where Are the Thieves?), became an even bigger worldwide hit than its predecessor. What was more, it cracked the lucrative U.S. market wide open, spending 11 weeks at number one on Billboard's Latin album chart and producing two U.S. number ones (on the Latin chart) with "Ciega, Sordomuda" and "Tu." The album's signature track, however, was the worldwide hit "Ojos Así," her most explicit nod yet to the Arabic music she'd picked up from her father (not to mention its latent belly-dancing connotations). Dónde Están los Ladrones? was also the most effective presentation yet of Shakira's strong-willed persona; her self-analysis made her even more popular among female fans, while her anger over love gone wrong drew comparisons to Alanis Morissette. 

When Gloria Estefan offered to translate "Ojos Así" into English, the prospect of a crossover suddenly seemed tangible, and Shakira decided that the most effective way to maintain control over her material was to learn English well enough to write in it herself. In the meantime, she set the stage for her crossover bid with a performance on MTV Unplugged; the channel's first Spanish-language broadcast. MTV Unplugged was released as an album in early 2000, and topped the Latin charts for two weeks on its way to becoming her third straight platinum album; it also won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album. At the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards ceremony in 2000, Shakira delivered a much-discussed, show-stopping performance of "Ojos Así," and took home Unplugged-related trophies for Best Female Pop Vocal ("Ojos Así") and Best Female Rock Vocal ("Octavo Dia"). 

Mainstream pop stardom beckoned. Shakira dyed her long brown hair blonde, romanced Antonio de la Rua (son of the former president of Argentina), and went to work on her first (mostly) English-language album, Laundry Service. The single/video "Whenever, Wherever" was released in advance of the album in late 2001, and made her a star in the English-speaking world almost overnight. Laundry Service entered the American pop charts at number three, and "Whenever, Wherever" climbed into the Top Ten of the singles chart, peaking at number six. The follow-up "Underneath Your Clothes" also hit the Top Ten, halting at number nine; less than a year after its release, Laundry Service had gone triple platinum. Reviews of Laundry Service were divided as to the effectiveness of Shakira's English lyrics, but nearly all agreed on her unique poetic imagery.

SHAKIRA MUSIC ALBUMS

Did it again - shakira
Don't Bother - Shakira
Donde Estas Corazon? - Shakira
Give It Up To Me - Shakira
Gypsy - Shakira
Hips Don't Lie - Shakira
La Tortura - Shakira
Loca - Shakira
Long Time - Shakira
Men in this Town - Shakira
Mon Amour - Shakira
No - Shakira
Octavo Dia - Shakira
Rabiosa - Shakira
She Wolf - Shakira
Spy - Shakira
Whenever, Wherever - Shakira
Why Wait - Shakira
Islands - Shakira

Scarlett Johansson Biography and Films

Scarlett Johansson was born in New York City on November 22nd 1984. She wanted to be an actress since she was a toddler and being from New York, she began her career when she was just eight years old in the off-Broadway production of Sophistry. 

She then made the jump to the Silver Screen and made her movie debut in the 1994 movie North, where she starred alongside Elijah Wood. She also appeared in other movies such as Just Cause and Home Alone 3 but got her first big break working with Robert Redford in the movie, "The Horse Whisperer", where she played a young girl who suffered a tragic horse accident. The movie premiered in 1998 and shot the young actress, only 13 at the time, to superstardom. 

She gained even more fame when she was featured in the Oscar winning movie "Lost in Translation" five years later in 2003 and then "Girl With A Pearl Earing" in 2004, both of which earned her nominations at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs. These films helped her establish herself as one of the premier Hollywood actresses. (She also appeared in movies such as the Eight Legged Freaks, The Man Who Wasn't There, The American Rhapsody, the comedy "The Perfect Score" and a number of other films.) 

Currently, Scarlett is one of the top female actresses in Hollywood and is only 22 years old. It is clear that she has a very bright future ahead of her. 

Scarlett Johansson is now known worldwide for her work as an actress and has appeared in a number of magazines and talk shows devoted to the latest entertainment news such as E! Weekly, People Magazine, and dozens of others. She has also appeared as guests on late night television shows such as the Tonight Show with Jay Leno or the Late Show with David Letterman and is ranked as one of the Hottest 100 Women in the world by both Maxim Magazine and AskMen.com.

Scarlett Johansson Films

Right from the age of 7, Scarlett Johansson has been a seriously aspiring actress. She made her film debut at 9, was first award-nominated at 11 and, throughout, has cleverly pushed for roles that would place her next to the heavyweight likes of Sean Connery, Robert Redford and Bill Murray. She learned from it all, and is now recognised as one of the best young actresses of her time.

The Black Dahlia (2006)
A View From The Bridge (2006)
Match Point (2005)
The Island (2005)
In Good Company (2004)
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)
A Good Woman (2004)
A Love Song For Bobby Long (2004)
The Perfect Score (2004)
Girl With A Pearl Earring (2004)
Lost In Translation (2003)
Eight Legged Freaks (2002)
An American Rhapsody (2001)
The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
Ghost World (2000)
My Brother The Pig (1999)
The Horse Whisperer (1998)
Home Alone 3 (1997)
Fall (1997)
Manny And Lo (1996)
If Lucy Fell (1996)
Just Cause (1995)
North (1994)

Penélope Cruz Biography, Awards and Movies

Penélope Cruz:
Academy Award nominee Penélope Cruz has proven herself to be one of the most versatile, young actresses by playing a variety of compelling characters, and most recently becoming the first actress from Spain to be nominated for an Academy Award.
First introduced to American audiences in the Spanish films JAMON, JAMON and BELLE EPOQUE, in 1998 she starred in her first English language film, HI-LO COUNTRY for director Stephen Frears opposite Woody Harrelson, Patricia Arquette and Billy Crudup. In 1999, Cruz won the Best Actress award at the 13th Annual Goya Awards given by the Spanish Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for her role in Fernando Trueba’s THE GIRL OF YOUR DREAMS.

Confirming her status as Spain’s hottest international actress, Cruz landed the coveted role opposite Matt Damon in the film adaptation of ALL THE PRETTY HORSES, directed by Billy Bob Thornton. Next, she portrayed Isabella, in WOMAN ON TOP for Fox Searchlight. The film was a whimsical tale of a gifted gourmand who journeys across the world in search of success, but ultimately finds herself.

Other featured credits include her starring role in the thriller OPEN YOUR EYES, TWICE UPON A YESTERDAY, Pedro Almovodar’s LIVE FLESH and TALK OF ANGELS. Additionally, Cruz co-starred in Pedro Almovodar’s critically acclaimedALL ABOUT MY MOTHER which was awarded the Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Foreign Film.

Up next for Penélope was BLOW for director Ted Demme. The film portrayed the true story of how cocaine became the designer drug in the U.S. in the early 70’s seen through the eyes of an American, played by Johnny Depp, who became one of the biggest traffickers for reputed drug kingpin Carlos Escobar. Cruz portrayed Depp’s wife. She next starred opposite Nicolas Cage and Christian Bale in CAPTAIN CORELLI’S MANDOLIN. The film, directed by John Madden, was shot in Greece and is based on Louis de Bernieres’ bestselling novel set during WWII.
Penélope starred opposite Tom Cruise in the erotic thriller VANILLA SKY. The film also starred Cameron Diaz andJason Lee and was directed by Cameron Crowe. She then tackled MASKED & ANONYMOUS, FAN FAN LA TUIPE, which opened the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, and DON’T TEMPT ME. She received rave reviews for her eagerly awaited performance in DON’T MOVE (“Non ti Muovere”) in which she was honored with a David Di Donatello Award (Italian Oscar) and European Film Award for Best Actress.

Penélope’s next films only added to her already brilliant and diverse choice of film credits. Recent films include GOTHIKA, in which she co-stared with Halle Berry and Robert Downey Jr.; director John Duigan’s romantic dramaHEAD IN THE CLOUDS opposite Charlize Theron and Stuart Townsend; NOEL opposite Susan Sarandon; and CHROMOPHOBIA with Ralph Fiennes. Penélope also co-stared with Matthew McConaughey and William H. Macy as Dr. Eva Rojas in the action packed film SAHARA.

In 2006, Penélope starred in VOLVER, which again teamed her with director and friend Pedro Almodovar. Critically acclaimed for her role as Raimunda, she won the “Best Actress” awards at the European Film Awards, the Spanish Goya Awards, the Cannes Film Festival, and received both Golden Globe and Oscar nominations. Penélope’s next film,THE GOOD NIGHT, written and directed by Jake Paltrow, opened in select theaters this past fall. Cruz next appears inELEGY opposite Sir Ben Kingsley.

Angelina Jolie Biography, Awards and Movies

ANGELINA JOLIE:
Academy Award and three-time Golden Globe winner ANGELINA JOLIE continues to be one of Hollywood’s most talented leading actresses. Most recently, Jolie starred in Clint Eastwood’s acclaimed film Changeling, for which she received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actress, as well as nominations from the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Broadcast Film Critics, London Film Critics and Chicago Film Critics.
Jolie also starred in the 2008 box-office hits Wanted, the fantasy-thriller directed by Timur Bekmambetov, and DreamWorks’ animated film Kung Fu Panda, opposite Jack Black. In 2007, she starred in Robert Zemeckis’ Beowulf and Michael Winterbottom’s critically acclaimed A Mighty Heart, the dramatic true story of Mariane and Daniel Pearl. Jolie’s performance in A Mighty Heart earned her nominations from the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, Broadcast Film Critics and Film Independent’s Spirit Awards.

Her upcoming films include The Tourist, in which she co-stars opposite Johnny Depp for director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.
Jolie’s previous films include The Good Shepherd, directed by Robert De Niro and co-starring Matt Damon; Mr. & Mrs. Smith, co-starring Brad Pitt; Alexander, directed by Oliver Stone and co-starring Colin Farrell and Anthony Hopkins; and the action-adventure Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, with Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow. She lent her voice to the animated feature Shark Tale, directed by the creators of Shrek, which also featured the voices ofWill Smith, Robert De Niro and Jack Black. Jolie also starred in the Warner Bros. thriller Taking Lives, with Ethan Hawke. In 2003, she played the lead role in the action-adventure Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, the sequel to director Simon West’s 2001 box-office smash Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and portrayed a relief worker for the United Nations in the provocative drama Beyond Borders.

In 2001, she starred in Original Sin, opposite Antonio Banderas for Gia writer/director Michael Cristofer. The previous year, she was seen with co-stars Nicolas Cage and Robert Duvall as car thieves committing their final heist in the smash hit Gone in Sixty Seconds, for producer Jerry Bruckheimer. She was also in the romantic comedy Life or Something Like It. Jolie’s portrayal of a mental patient in Girl, Interrupted garnered her an Academy Award®, her third Golden Globe Award, a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, ShoWest’s Supporting Actress of the Year Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. The film, based on the true story by Susanna Kaysen, was directed by James Mangold and co-starred Winona Ryder.

Prior to that, she played a rookie police officer opposite Denzel Washington’s veteran detective in the thriller The Bone Collector, directed by Phillip Noyce. She also co-starred in Mike Newell’s Pushing Tin with Billy Bob Thorntonand John Cusack. Playing by Heart earned her the National Board of Review’s award for Breakthrough Performance–Female; this character-driven drama, directed by Willard Carroll, featured an all-star ensemble cast, including Sean Connery, Gena Rowlands, Madeleine Stowe, Ellen Burstyn, Gillian Anderson and Dennis Quaid.
The HBO film Gia earned Jolie critical praise as well as a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of supermodel Gia Carangi, who died of AIDS. Jolie also received an Emmy nomination for her role opposite Gary Sinise in director John Frankenheimer’s George Wallace, a period epic for TNT about the controversial governor of Alabama. The film earned Jolie her first Golden Globe Award and a CableACE nomination for her portrayal of George Wallace’s second wife, Cornelia.

Jolie also co-starred with David Duchovny and Timothy Hutton in director Andy Wilson’s Playing God. Prior to that, she starred in Hallmark Hall of Fame’s four-hour miniseries presentation True Women; directed by Karen Arthur, it was based on Janice Woods Windle’s best-selling historical novel. Jolie also starred in Annette Haywood-Carter’s much-acclaimed Foxfire and Iain Softley’s Hackers.

A member of the famed MET Theatre Ensemble Workshop, Jolie trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and has also studied with Jan Tarrant in New York and Silvana Gallardo in Los Angeles.
Jolie has also received wide recognition for her humanitarian work. She was the first recipient of the Citizen of the World Award from the United Nations Correspondents Association, as well as the Global Humanitarian Action Award in 2005. In February 2007, Jolie was accepted by the bipartisan think tank Council on Foreign Relations for a special five-year term designed to nurture the next generation of foreign-policy makers.

Jolie is also a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She helped push through the Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act and founded the National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children, an organization that provides free legal aid to asylum-seeking children.

Mariah Carey Biography, Songs and Movies

Mariah Carey is a Singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer MARIAH CAREY has received five Grammy® Awards and thirty-three nominations. Uniquely melding R&B, soul, gospel, and hip hop influences, Carey has recorded the most US number one singles for a solo artist (18, surpassing Elvis Presley), and is in second place among artists with the most singles in the rock era.

She has been recognized as Billboard’s “Artist of the Decade,” and the “Best-Selling Female Pop Artist of the Millennium” at the 2000 World Music Awards. Her five-octave voice was voted “Greatest in Music” (MTV 2003) and Number One on the “22 Greatest Voices in Music” (Blender Magazine). Carey’s “The Emancipation of Mimi” was 2005’s best-selling album and a Grammy-winner for “Best Contemporary R&B Album.” Her eleventh studio album, “E=MC²,” released in 2008, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and remained there for two consecutive weeks. Her highly-anticipated upcoming album “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel” will be released this August.
Carey began her acting career with a small role in the 1999 romantic comedy THE BACHELOR and followed with the lead in the semi-autobiographical GLITTER, with Terrence Howard. She received rave reviews for her performance in the independent film WISE GIRLS, which premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. Carey previously teamed with producer/director Lee Daniels for the film TENNESSEE, which premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival.

Megan Fox Biography and Movies

A statuesque actress and model whose elegant beauty is somewhat offset by a collection of vivid tattoos,  Megan Fox was catapulted to stardom after starring in the action packed movie Transformers.
Born on May 16, 1986 in Anderson County, Tennessee, Megan Denise Fox was always dreaming of becoming an actress from the time she was three. She attended dance and drama classes when she was just 5 years old. The lessons continued when Megan and her family moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, when she was 10. At the age of 13, she also added modeling classes to her repertoire.
As as she turned sixteen, Megan won numerous Awards at the American Modeling and Talent Convention in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina in 1999. She made her screen debut as a bratty heiress in the Olsen Twins feature Holiday in the Sun (2001), where she was billed under her full name in the closing credits. Over the course of the next few years, Megan became a frequent fixture on television thanks to roles on What I Like About You, Two and a Half Men, and Hope & Faith. She has also played role along Lindsay Lohan in the movie Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.

Megan's biggest break, however, came in 2007 when she was cast as the lead actress alongside Shia LaBeouf in the highly anticipated Transformers movie. The Steven Spielberg-produced film was quite successful and she gained pop movie award nominations for this role. The next year, the olive-skinned actress joined the cast of the comedy How to Lose Freinds and Alienate People.
In 2009, Megan reprised her role as Mikaela Banes in the sequel to the hit Transformers in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. In that same year, she also landed the main role in comic horror film Jennifer's Body, in which she plays a possessed cheerleader who feeds off of young men.
One of the prettiest faces in Hollywood, Megan was popularly voted as the 'Sexiest Woman in the World' by FHM magazine in 2008, beating Jessica Biel and Jessica Alba. She is often considered as the “next Angelina Jolie” being compared to her for having a similar tattoo collection and for their sex symbol status. She is supposed to have nine tattoos on her body, out of which the two most famous ones are the face of Marilyn Monroe on her right arm and a line from the famous play of William Shakespeare, 'King Lear.'
Megan has been involved with Beverly Hills actor Brian Austin Green, with whom she co-starred in Hope & Faith, since 2004. After 2 years of dating they got engaged, but there were rumors that their relationship was under the rocks. However, the couple were engaged again in June 2010, and wed in a private ceremony on June 24, 2010 at the Four Seasons Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Sonakshi Sinha Biography & Career

Sonakshi Sinha Biography & Career

Sonakshi Sinha was born on 2 June 1987 and she is an Indian actress and model. She is the daughter of Indian actor and politician Shatrughan Sinha.

Career
Sonakshi Sinha started her career as a model, and walked the ramp at the Lakme Fashion week in 2008 and then again in Lakme Fashion week 2009. She made her acting debut with the film Dabangg co-starring Salman Khan. She has worked in Lakme Fashion week and has been chosen to represent India for the Model Gate Show.

Personal life
Sonakshi Sinha was born in Mumbai in a Srivastava (Kayastha) family. Sonakshi Sinha is the daughter of actor and politician Shatrughan Sinha and Punam Sinha. She has two brothers, Luv Sinha and Kussh Sinha.