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 |
Fabienne Demal (born February 15, 1968), known as Axelle Red, is a Belgian singer and songwriter. She has released many albums. Some popular ones include Sans plus attendre and Jardin Secret. She is famous for her 1993 song "Sensualité". This song was a big hit in France in 1994.
Contents
Biography
Early Years
Axelle Red was born Fabienne Demal in Hasselt, Belgium. Her father, Roland Demal, was a lawyer. He also worked as a local politician.
When she was 14, in 1983, Fabienne released her first song. It was called "Little Girls." She used the name Fabby for this song. In 1986, she chose her stage name, Axelle Red. The name "Red" was a nod to her red hair. It also showed her fiery and strong personality.
The 1990s
Axelle Red studied law and graduated in 1993. She decided to sing in French, even though she was from a Dutch-speaking part of Belgium.
Her first album, Sans Plus Attendre, came out in 1993. It quickly became popular in France, Switzerland, Canada, and Belgium. Over 200,000 copies were sold. She later received an award for selling over 1 million albums. A year later, she performed to a sold-out crowd at the Paris Olympia.
In 1998, she married Filip Vanes. He is still her husband and manager today. That same year, she sang the official song for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. It was called "La Cour des Grands". She sang it with Youssou N'Dour at the opening ceremony. Billions of people watched it on TV.
While expecting her first daughter, Janelle, she performed soul and rhythm and blues music. She was joined by famous artists like Wilson Pickett and Sam Moore. Axelle also supported a big concert for Amnesty International. She released a Spanish album, Con Solo Pensarlo, that year too.
In 1999, Axelle won a major music award in France. It was the Victoire de la Musique for female artist of the year. Her third album, Toujours Moi, also came out. She wrote and produced it herself. It sold more than 800,000 copies.
The 2000s
In 2002, her fourth album, Face A / Face B, was released. The title refers to old vinyl records. They had a "fast" side for dancing and a "slow" side for ballads.
Her second daughter, Gloria, was born in 2003. A special CD box set was also released. It included three CDs with many unreleased songs. Some were duets with artists like Charles Aznavour and Francis Cabrel. Her duet with Renaud, "Manhattan-Kaboul", was played most on French radio that year. It sold over 800,000 singles. Axelle and Renaud won an NRJ music award for it.
In 2004, Axelle acted for the first time in the film Ellektra. Her first "Best Of" album, French Soul, was released. It had two new songs. One was "I Have A Dream", a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.. Axelle directed the music videos for these songs.
While expecting her third daughter, Billie, she visited Sri Lanka. She went with UNICEF to help people affected by a big tsunami. In May 2005, she joined Peter Gabriel and Youssou N'Dour at a concert in Geneva. This concert celebrated the 60th anniversary of the United Nations. Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, thanked her for her humanitarian work. She also spoke for Live 8 in France. She performed at a benefit concert in Versailles.
In 2006, Axelle released Jardin Secret, her fifth album. It was recorded in Memphis, USA. In September 2006, she received a high artistic honor from France. She became a Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. She also took part in concerts against intolerance and racism.
In 2008, she wrote her first album in English, Sisters & Empathy. She recorded it with musicians from Memphis and New York City.
The 2010s
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In 2011, a new album came out, Un Coeur Comme le Mien. It quickly became a gold record in Belgium. After two concerts, she went on a tour that lasted until summer 2012.
Her 2013 album, Rouge Ardent, brought back her soul pop sound. Many musicians worked on this album. It reached number 1 in Belgium and also went gold.
Also in 2013, an exhibition about Axelle Red's fashion was held. It was at the Modemuseum in her hometown, Hasselt.
She joined the judges for the third season of The Voice van Vlaanderen in 2014. In 2015, The Songs (Acoustic) was released. This album featured acoustic versions of her songs and some covers. On her 2018 album, Exil, Axelle Red explored electronic and rock music. She worked with Albert Hammond and Dave Stewart. A tour in Belgium and France followed the album's release.
The 2020s
In 2022, Axelle Red released a Christmas album. It included soulful versions of classic songs. She also focused on less common holiday tunes. A winter tour followed the album. She also performed at the 2022 Night of the Proms.
In 2023, she started a new tour in Belgium. This tour celebrates her thirty-year career. She mostly performs her greatest hits.
Social Activities
Since 1997, Axelle Red has been an ambassador for UNICEF. This means she works to help children and women. She focuses on those in war zones and developing countries. That same year, she supported the Ottawa Convention against land mines. She also helped in Haiti, a country facing poverty.
In 2005, Red traveled to Senegal for a campaign by Oxfam. She spoke up for fair trade prices. At a European meeting, Axelle asked the head of the European Commission to increase aid for developing countries.
In 2007, Axelle visited Sierra Leone for a UNICEF campaign. Sierra Leone had the highest child death rate in the world. In December 2007, the King of Belgium gave her a special medal. It was for her work helping others.
In May 2008, the University of Hasselt gave Axelle an honorary degree. This was for her work as an artist and human rights activist. On International Women's Day, Axelle spoke at the Council of Europe. She talked about domestic violence.
As an ambassador for Handicap International in 2022, she visited Colombia. She saw their work to clear land mines from the ground.
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 (A high French artistic honor)
Commandeur in the Belgian Order of the Crown: 2007 (A high Belgian honor for public service)
Distinctions
- Doctoratus honoris causa of the Hasselt University: 2008 (An honorary doctorate degree)
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
