Axelle Red facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Axelle Red
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Axelle Red in 2009
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Fabienne Demal |
| Born | 15 February 1968 Hasselt, Belgium |
| Genres | Pop, Soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Labels | Former: Virgin Records Current: Music & Roses |
Axelle Red is the stage name of Fabienne Demal, a famous singer and songwriter from Belgium. Born on February 15, 1968, she is known for her pop and soul music. She has recorded 12 albums, including popular ones like Sans plus attendre and À Tâtons. Her song "Sensualité" was a huge hit in France in 1994.
Contents
Life and Career
Becoming Axelle Red
Axelle Red was born Fabienne Demal in Hasselt, a city in the Flanders region of Belgium. Her father, Roland Demal, was a lawyer and a city council member.
She started her music career early. When she was just 14, she released her first song, "Little Girls," under the name Fabby. In 1986, she chose the stage name Axelle Red. The name was inspired by her red hair and her "fiery" and "fighting" personality.
Even while starting her music career, she continued her education. In 1993, she graduated from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel with a degree in law.
Rise to Fame in the 1990s
Although she was from the Flemish (Dutch-speaking) part of Belgium, Axelle decided to sing in French. Her first album, Sans Plus Attendre, came out in 1993. It was a massive success in France, Switzerland, Canada, and Belgium, selling over 200,000 copies. She later received a platinum award for selling over one million albums.
In 1998, she performed the official song for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, called "La Cour des Grands". She sang it with Youssou N'Dour at the opening ceremony in a stadium near Paris. Over a billion people watched on TV.
That same year, she performed with some of her soul music heroes, like Wilson Pickett and Sam Moore. In 1999, she won a Victoire de la Musique award, a top music prize in France, for Female Artist of the Year. Her third album, Toujours Moi, sold more than 800,000 copies.
Music in the 2000s
In 2002, Axelle released her fourth album, Face A / Face B. The title was a nod to old vinyl records that had a "fast" side for dancing and a "slow" side for ballads.
The next year, her duet with the singer Renaud, called "Manhattan-Kaboul", was the most played song in France. It sold over 800,000 copies and won an NRJ Music Award.
In 2006, she released her fifth album, Jardin Secret. The songs were recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, a city famous for its music history. That year, she also received a special honor from the French government for her work in the arts.
She recorded her first album in English, Sisters & Empathy, in 2008.
Recent Work
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Axelle has continued to release new music. Her 2013 album, Rouge Ardent, went to number one on the charts in Belgium. She also served as a judge on the TV show The Voice van Vlaanderen (The Voice of Flanders).
In 2018, she released the album Exil, which had a more electronic and rock sound. In 2022, she released The Christmas Album, which included soulful versions of holiday songs.
To celebrate her 30-year career, Axelle began a new tour in Belgium in 2023, performing her greatest hits for fans.
Helping Others
Since 1997, Axelle Red has been an ambassador for UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund. She works to protect the rights of children and women in poor countries and areas affected by war.
Over the years, she has traveled to many places to help people.
- She has campaigned against landmines, which are hidden bombs that can hurt people long after a war is over.
- She has traveled to Niger to campaign against child marriage and other harmful practices.
- She has visited Sri Lanka to help people affected by the 2004 tsunami.
- She has worked with organizations like Oxfam to fight for fair prices for farmers in developing countries.
- She has visited Sierra Leone to support a campaign to save babies' lives.
- In 2022, she visited Colombia with Handicap International to support the dangerous work of clearing landmines from the ground.
For her work helping others, Axelle has received many honors. In 2007, the King of Belgium gave her a special award for her social commitment. In 2008, Hasselt University gave her an honorary doctorate degree to recognize her work as an artist and human rights activist.
Discography
- Sans plus attendre (1993)
- À tâtons (1996)
- Con solo pensarlo (1998)
- Toujours moi (1999)
- Alive (in concert) (2000)
- Face A / Face B (2002)
- Jardin secret (2006)
- Sisters & Empathy (2008)
- Un coeur comme le mien (2011)
- Rouge Ardent (2013)
- Exil (2018)
- The Christmas Album (2022)
Honours and awards
Decorations
Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres: 2006
Commandeur in the Belgian Order of the Crown: 2007
Distinctions
- Doctoratus honoris causa of the Hasselt University: 2008
Awards
- Victoires de la Musique: Female artist of the Year: 1999
- IFPI Platinum Europe Awards: 2002 (for 1 million sales of the album "À Tâtons")
- Victoires de la Musique: Original song of the year: 2003 (for "Manhattan-Kaboul" with Renaud)
- NRJ's NRJ Music Awards: Best French song for "Manhattan-Kaboul" with Renaud: 2003
- NRJ Music Awards: Best French duo with Renaud: 2003
- Straffe Madam Award: 2007
- Humo's Pop Poll: Best Belgian singer: 2008
- Gouden Klaproos: 2008
- Gouden Huppel of Hasselt: 2014
- Radio 2 Hall of Fame: 2018
- Golden Hasselt Award: 2019
See also
In Spanish: Axelle Red para niños
