Leslie Shaw's Biography: from Superstar to the Barbie of Cumbia

Before singing reality shows existed as we know them today, Leslie Shaw was already competing in one: she was 15 and came second on Superstar. Two decades later, the singer from Lima keeps reinventing herself, this time as "the Barbie of Cumbia", a new side that in 2026 has her playing in a genre very different from the one that made her famous. Here we review her full career, from Superstar to "La Faldita" and from there to cumbia.

Who is Leslie Shaw?

Leslie Shaw is a Peruvian singer, songwriter, dancer, model and actress, born on February 27, 1989 in Lima. She is known for her time in the group Glow, for her solo career since 2010 and for the international success of "La Faldita" (2019) with Mau y Ricky. In 2026 she remains active in music, now within the cumbia and tropical music genre.

Leslie Shaw at a glance

Leslie Shaw's childhood and early years

Leslie Ann Shaw Thays was born in Lima in 1989. Her father's surname, Shaw, reflects British ancestry, while Irish roots are also attributed to her through the family line, although the specific details about her family tree have not been widely documented in public sources.

Her approach to music was early: in 2004, at just 15, she took part in Superstar, one of the first singing reality shows on Peruvian television, where she came second. That experience gave her a first taste of media exposure that, far from remaining an anecdote, ended up being the starting point of her entire artistic career.

Suggested internal link: her time on a singing reality show connects her with other Peruvian artists who also made their debut on television before establishing themselves in music, such as Daniela Darcourt.

Leslie Shaw's professional career

In 2008, Shaw joined Glow, a Peruvian pop group with which she recorded the album "Signos" and with which she spent little time before taking a different path. In 2010 she launched herself as a solo artist, working with the producer Francisco Murias, seeking to explore a sound closer to rock than to the pop she had made with the group.

A year later, in 2011, she represented Peru at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival, one of the most important stages for Spanish-language music in South America, where she came second. That same year she was a finalist in the first season of El Gran Show. Her breakthrough came almost a decade later: in 2019 she released "La Faldita" with the Venezuelan duo Mau y Ricky, a track that reached quadruple platinum certification and that Billboard highlighted in July 2020 on its list of new Peruvian artists to follow. In December 2020 she became the first Peruvian woman to win a Premio Heat Latin Music as "best artist, southern region".

Main milestones of her career:

• 2004: she takes part in the reality show Superstar and comes second
• 2008: she joins the group Glow and records the album "Signos"
• 2010: she launches herself as a solo artist with the album "Destrozado y sin control"
• 2011: she represents Peru at the Viña del Mar Festival
• 2019: she releases "La Faldita" with Mau y Ricky
• 2020: she wins the Premio Heat for best artist, southern region
• 2023: she releases the EP "Piscis, Vol. 1"
• 2026: she reinvents herself musically with cumbia collaborations

Leslie Shaw's discography and leading projects

Leslie Shaw's personal life

On the romantic side, various Peruvian outlets have reported in 2026 that Leslie Shaw is in a relationship with a man publicly known as "El Prefe", a link that became more visible after an incident reported with another artist at the start of that year. The singer has not given extensive details about the relationship in formal interviews, so much of the available information comes from entertainment press reports.

As for her career, Shaw has publicly defended the authenticity of her success on digital platforms. In February 2026 she told La República that she does not pay for plays on YouTube, responding to questions about the performance of her most recent songs. Besides music, she has built a parallel career as a model and actress, and in 2019 she took part in the opening ceremony of the Pan American Games held in Lima.

Fun facts about Leslie Shaw

• She made her music debut at 15 on the reality show Superstar (2004), where she came second.
• "La Faldita" (2019), her most successful track, reached quadruple platinum certification.
• In 2020 she became the first Peruvian woman to win a Premio Heat Latin Music as best artist of the southern region.
• She took part in the opening ceremony of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.
• In 2026 she adopted the nickname "the Barbie of Cumbia" for her new musical stage focused on the tropical genre.
• One of her 2025 releases caused controversy when another artist, Alejandra Pascucci, pointed out that a track presented as "previously unreleased" had in fact been recorded 12 years earlier.

Leslie Shaw in 2026

2026 found Leslie Shaw in the middle of a musical transition. After years tied to Latin pop and reggaeton, the singer has been betting on cumbia and tropical music collaborations, such as the track recorded with the Orquesta Candela, performing under the nickname "the Barbie of Cumbia". She also released "Choque y fuga" in a remix version with the artist Papillón, mixing urban pop with tropical elements, a track that already tops 22,000 views on YouTube.

In February 2026 she also came out to defend the performance of her music on digital platforms in the face of criticism about her play counts, insisting that she does not resort to buying views. At Famosix we follow her evolution within the Peruvian music scene, alongside other national artists such as Daniela Darcourt.

Conclusion

Leslie Shaw has spent more than two decades reinventing herself: from the youth pop of Glow to the light rock of her solo debut, from the massive success of "La Faldita" to her current stage as "the Barbie of Cumbia". That capacity to adapt is, perhaps, what has kept her career alive in a music market that changes every few years. Follow on Famosix the coverage of other Peruvian singers and their present in 2026.

Sources consulted

• Wikipedia: Leslie Shaw
• La República: "Yo no pago para tener vistas": Leslie Shaw defiende el éxito de sus canciones
• La República: Leslie Shaw presenta tema "inédito", pero Alejandra Pascucci revela que canción fue grabada hace 12 años