Shakira: 'Obama made me feel important'

Shakira has claimed that Barack Obama is unlike any other politician she has met.

The 'Did It Again' singer explained that when she met the president, he made her feel like "the most important person in the world".

"I've met many politicians in my life, and they always seem a little distracted," she told Entertainment Weekly. "But with Obama it was completely different. He gives every person his focused, undivided attention.

"We talked about Latin America, education. He also mentioned to me, 'I read somewhere that you were going to UCLA to study'. Can you believe that? Where does he have space in his hard disk [for] this little piece of information about me?"

Shakira was recently named one of The Economist's most important people of 2009 in recognition of her charity work.