Colombia singer, Shakira, expressed deep love and admiration for her father during the presentation of his book at a festival in Barcelona.
“My father [the writer and journalist Chadid William Mebarak] is not Shakira’s father, rather I am the daughter of William and he is the best father that life could give me…[he is] my cornerstone, my best friend, not only in my career but in my life,” said the singer, who grew up in the Carribbean port city Barranquilla.
Shakira, who is pregnant with her first child, said that the subject of motherhood is the most important conversation she has with her father, who is apparently worried about the world that his grandson will enter.
“I can not predict if my son will come into this world with more advantages or more burdens…I hope he has the example of his grandfather, with whom he has a lot to share, because my father is a person who always helps resolve small conflicts, and for that I am very proud of him,” said Colombian pop sensation.
Shakira explained that her father, a Lebanese immigrant, was her first audience. During the long hours spent typing away on his typewriter, the young Shakira began to write her first songs to imitate the words of her father, who, she said, possessed the “soul of a poet and storyteller.”