Nidia Del Carmen Ripoll Torrado Is Shakira’s Mother and Her Biggest Supporter

Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado is Shakira’s mom, who has supported the singer’s career since the beginning. Torrado first discovered her daughter’s talent after Shakira suddenly danced in a restaurant. Since then, Torrado has been a driving force in her daughter’s career.

Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado is famously known as Shakira’s mother. While she is not a public person, she played a significant role in the singer’s success.

Her influence in Shakira’s life encouraged the entertainer to pursue her career and push her limits to be the best in the industry.

Torrado has focused on motherhood most of her life, working as a housewife. However, she has reached many corners of the world as she travels with her daughter during tours and vacations.

Nidia Del Carmen Ripoll Torrado Met Shakira’s Father When He Already Had Nine Kids

Nidia Del Carmen Ripoll Torrado met her husband, William Mebarak Chadid, in 1976. At that time, he was a married man with nine children. Originally from the US, Chadid and his family moved to Columbia at age five. He was also proud to have Lebanese roots.

Similarly, Torrado was also born in Columbia but has Italian and Catalonian blood. Chadid once recalled seeing Torrado for the first time:

“She worked in a friend’s company, and one day I saw the wind sticking her skirts to her legs, and I fell in love with her. And I thought, ‘Now your peace of mind is over, William.'”

Shakira, William Mebarak Chadid, and Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado during a UNICEF press conference. | Source: Getty Images

Soon after, the couple welcomed their first daughter together, Shakira. The “Hips Don’t Lie” songstress was the only child Torrado had. Their family lived near Chadid’s other kids, who all loved their new baby sister.

Nidia Was Shakira’s First Fan, Supporter, and Manager

Shakira was still a child when her mother noticed her potential as an entertainer. Since the day her daughter danced in front of an entire restaurant without prior experience, Torrado knew Shakira would one day be a star. Shakira, still a child, heard music while dining and began to shake her hips to the delight of her family.

She started giving belly dancing performances during family and school events. Her educators also saw her talent and encouraged Shakira to pursue her interests.

However, Shakira was more interested in the sciences. She wanted to learn more about nature and liked writing stories and poems. At one point, she convinced many that she would become a researcher. However, Torrado knew her daughter was destined to become a performer. She said:

“I discovered that the writer part was just the first step, and what she was writing was the lyrics to her songs.”

The more Torrado saw her daughter’s talents, the more she was encouraged to help her daughter thrive in entertainment. She enrolled Shakira in Passarela Academy, where the artist learned how to model. Torrado also helped her daughter find the confidence to join singing contests.

When Shakira’s career started growing, Torrado accompanied her daughter to auditions and events. Shakira credits her mother as the driving force that turned her into a singing sensation.

As time passed, Torrado’s backstage presence decreased. However, she sometimes attended red-carpet events or babysat her grandchildren during Shakira’s concerts.

Nidia Significantly Influenced Her Daughter’s Career, and Shakira Appreciates It a Lot

Although Shakira’s father inspired her, Torrado became her best friend and number one supporter. Torrado was the reason for Shakira’s discipline. The singer said:

“My father is idealistic, my mother is realistic. My father is the insanity, and my mother is the sanity.”

Shakira is grateful to both her parents for guiding her toward the right path. Like her, many entertainers praised their parents for raising them well, including “Stranger Things” star Sadie Sink.

Sink’s mother and father both had careers in the academe but supported their children’s dreams to become actors and actresses.