Shakira’s Sons Milan and Sasha: What to Know

Shakira is performing at the Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show with Jennifer Lopez, and while there will be millions watching her on stage, there are two very special children watching as well. The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer has two sons, Milan, 7, and Sasha, 5. She shares both with her longtime partner, Spanish soccer star Gerard Pique.

Shakira and Pique welcomed Milan on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. The singer announced his birth on her website, and gave a detailed explanation for Milan’s name.

“The name Milan (pronounced MEE-lahn), means dear, loving and gracious in Slavic; in Ancient Roman, eager and laborious; and in Sanskrit, unification,” she wrote at the time, reports NBC Latino.

Milan was born weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces. The proud parents could have joint birthday parties for their children, as both sons were born in January. Sasha’s birthday is Jan. 29, 2015. Both children were born in Barcelona, where the couple has a home.

“The name Sasha is of Greek and Russian descent and means ‘defender of mankind’ and ‘warrior,’” the couple announced on Shakira’s website. “The hospital confirmed that both mother and child are in excellent health.”

Since Shakira is on the road so often, she goes through periods of time without seeing her children.

“I try to give my kids a sense of normalcy within our lives,” the Colombian singer told Despierta America. “It’s not easy to raise children when you’re someone in the spotlight, it’s one of our biggest challenges.”

In an interview with Viva Magazine, Shakira said she has to use FaceTime to keep in contact with her sons during her tours. “Sometimes it’s very hard when you can not see your sons for a month or even more,” she explained. “It is so hard. But we call each other via FaceTime, so we are in constant communication. That helps.”

Shakira said she does not have “written deal” with Pique, but they make sure the two are equally involved in parenting. They both try to be as “hands-on” as possible.

“We don’t have a written deal to share the tasks or anything like that, but we both are very involved in parenting and try to sort it out the best we can,” she said. “We support each other and we also find a huge help in our families. We don’t know a different way to do it!”

Shakira also said her boys are the reason she will likely never do another season of the U.S. version of The Voice.

“I used to be the center of my universe, the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega, and now I’m a satellite of my kids,” she told Entertainment Tonight in 2017. “I completely revolve around them. They’re the center of my universe and my biggest priority in life to make sure they feel loved and that they will become good people, great human beings. That’s my number one goal and then everything else is secondary.”

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