You know Shakira, right? The “hips don’t lie” woman, the World Cup anthem singer and also a very famous Latin pop star. But I bet you’ve never heard of Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado. That’s her mum. And really, without Nidia, there probably would be no Shakira.
Nidia’s not on Instagram. She doesn’t do interviews. She’s not interested in fame. But she’s the one who recognised her daughter’s talent when everyone else thought she was just a weird kid dancing in restaurants.
Where It All Started
Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, on February 7, 1950. She’s 74 now. She was one of 8 kids born and raised in a real mixed family. Her dad was Tomas Eduardo Ripoll Jimenez, and her mum was Josefina Torrado Núñez. Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado parents raised their kids with strong family values, which Nidia passed on later.
Nidia del carmen Ripoll Torrado ethnicity is this fascinating blend. The Ripoll surname originates from Catalonia in Spain. There, four brothers relocated to Colombia in the 1800s. From her mother’s side, the Torrado family brought Italian and Spanish parentage to the equation. Colombia’s already a melting pot and Nidia’s family was a microcosmic example.
She studied dentistry at university. There she met William Mebarak Chadid, who is Lebanese Colombian. He was married with nine children when they met. Not ideal, obviously. But William says he saw her out walking one day; the wind caught her skirt, and that was it for him. He knew his peaceful life was done.
They were married in the mid-1970s at some point. William’s first wife had been killed in a tragedy, and he was left with eight children. Nidia acted as stepmother to all of them. That’s Tonino, Alberto, Edward, Antonio, Robin, Moises, Patricia and Lucy. She was in her 20s with a houseful of eight children as well as starting her own family. Mental, really.
The Restaurant Moment
Shakira was born February 2, 1977. Nidia’s biological child, and yet she treated all nine of them the same. She had practised as a dentist since graduating, but when Shakira came into her life, she quit. She wanted to be able to focus on being a mum.
Here is the story that changed everything. They went to a restaurant when Shakira was a baby. Middle Eastern music came on. That’s when Shakira stood up and began belly dancing. Nobody had taught her. She’d never seen it before. She just… did it.
Most parents would have laughed it off. Cute kid moment, right? But Nidia saw something different. She discovered talent that no one else had noticed yet. Though little Shakira was more interested in writing and science, Nidia encouraged her toward performing instead.
She put Shakira in modelling classes to boost her self-esteem. She took her to singing competitions. She was my first manager, essentially. When record labels kept rejecting Shakira because her voice was “too different”, Nidia just kept pushing. She was the one who made things real, while Shakira’s dad dreamed big.
Shakira has said loads of times that her mum was the driving force. Her dad gave her creativity and imagination. But Nidia gave her discipline and work ethic. The stuff that actually matters when you’re trying to build a career.
Staying in the Background
Once Shakira’s career took off properly, Nidia stepped back. She’ll show up at massive events sometimes, but mostly she stays home. Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado age is 74 now, and she’s spent most of her adult life supporting everyone else rather than chasing attention for herself.
She gave up dentistry. She raised nine kids. She travelled the world during Shakira’s tours. But she never wanted credit. You won’t find her doing magazine interviews or posting on social media. That’s just not who she is.
In 2024, she had a proper health scare. Got rushed to hospital in Barcelona. Doctors thought maybe a stroke. It turned out to be a blood clot in her leg, which is called deep vein thrombosis. Serious stuff at her age. But she recovered fast, probably because she’s tough as nails.
Shakira dropped everything to be with her mum when that happened. That tells you what kind of relationship they have.
The Marriage
Nidia and William Mebarak Chadid have been married over 50 years now. That’s impressive by any standard, but especially when you think about what they’ve been through. They lost William’s eldest son in a motorcycle accident when Shakira was just two. That kind of tragedy either breaks a family or makes them stronger.
William had a bad fall in 2022 that caused serious head trauma. Needed brain surgery. The hospital in Spain didn’t have the right equipment, so Shakira sorted an air ambulance to take him to America. Through all that stress, Nidia was there dealing with it like she always does.
William has written books about Shakira and worked various jobs over the years. Journalist, health visitor, insurance work, jewellery business. He’s the creative one in the marriage. Nidia’s the practical one who keeps everything running.
When Things Got Messy
Remember when Shakira split from Gerard Piqué in 2022? That footballer she was with for twelve years? It got ugly. Cheating rumours everywhere. Custody battles over their two boys, Milan and Sasha. The tabloids went absolutely mad with it.
Nidia stayed quiet through the whole thing. She gave one interview saying she hoped they’d get back together, which is what any mum would say. But she didn’t sell stories or slag off Gerard publicly. She just supported her daughter privately, like she’s always done.
There were stories about Gerard’s mum never accepting Shakira because she wasn’t Catalan and because of their age gap. But Nidia didn’t get involved in that drama either. Not her style.
What Makes Her Different
Think about all the celebrity parents you know. Most of them can’t resist the spotlight. They’re on reality shows, writing books, and starting podcasts about their famous kids. They post constantly about their children’s success like they’re the ones who achieved it.
Nidia’s done none of that. She could have made millions just being Shakira’s mum. Easy money, loads of attention, all the perks of fame without actually having to be talented yourself.
But she chose privacy instead. She chose to just be a mum and grandmother and wife. No social media. No interviews unless absolutely necessary. No riding her daughter’s coattails.
That’s actually quite rare nowadays. Everyone wants to be famous for something, even if it’s just being related to someone famous. Nidia’s had that option for decades and keeps saying no.
The Real Impact
Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado isn’t a household name. Most people reading this had never heard of her before. But think about what she did.
She spotted talent in a little girl dancing spontaneously. She gave up her own career to nurture that talent. She provided the discipline that turned potential into achievement. She created a family environment where nine kids from different backgrounds all felt loved and supported.
Without Nidia’s push, Shakira might have become something else entirely. Maybe a writer, maybe a scientist. The world would have missed out on one of the greatest Latin artists ever. Millions of fans would never have experienced those songs and performances.
But more than that, Nidia showed what proper support looks like. Not the showy kind that demands recognition. The quiet kind that just does what needs doing. She never asked for applause or credit. She just got on with it.
At 74, living in Barcelona or Miami (she splits her time), she’s still focused on family rather than fame. Still private. Still the same person she’s always been. That’s actually pretty special in a culture that is absolutely obsessed with being seen and heard.
That’s Nidia del Carmen Ripoll Torrado for you. Not just Shakira’s mum. A woman who knew what she cared about and stuck with it for more than 50 years. A woman who made one of the biggest music careers imaginable and then, when it was her daughter’s turn to be in the hot seat, stepped back.
People generally want credit for what they do. Nidia’s greatest accomplishment was making someone even more successful than she herself had been and then staying out of the way. That takes a kind of strength most of us don’t have.
