Des'ree facts for kids

Des'ree, whose real name is Desirée Annette Weekes, is a talented singer and songwriter from England. She was born on November 30, 1968. She became very famous in the 1990s for her pop and soul music.

People know Des'ree for her unique, deep voice and songs that make you feel good. Some of her most popular songs are "Feel So High," "You Gotta Be," and "Life." She also sang the beautiful song "Kissing You" for the movie Romeo + Juliet in 1996.

Des'ree won the award for Best British Female Artist at the Brit Awards in 1999. She also received other important awards, like an Ivor Novello Award and a World Music Award.

Early Life and Music Start

Des'ree was born in Croydon, South East London, on November 30, 1968. Her mother came from Guyana, and her father was from Barbados. Her parents introduced her to different types of music, like reggae, calypso, and jazz.

Her family lived in Barbados for three years when she was young. They moved back to the UK when Des'ree was a teenager. Before she became a singer, her parents hoped she would study law at university.

Des'ree's Music Career

Starting Out and Becoming Famous

In 1991, when Des'ree was 22, she didn't know anyone in the music business. But her boyfriend encouraged her to send a demo tape to a record label called Sony 550. They liked her music and signed her!

Her first song, "Feel So High", came out in August 1991. It became a top 20 hit in the UK when it was re-released in 1992. Her first album, Mind Adventures, was released in February 1992. It reached number 26 in the UK charts. In 1992, she toured with the band Simply Red, performing as their opening act.

In 1993, Des'ree sang with Terence Trent D'Arby on his song "Delicate". This song also reached the top 20 in the UK. Later that year, she performed for Pope John Paul II at a special concert in the Vatican City. This concert was shown on Italian television.

Big Hits and Global Success

In 1994, Des'ree's song "You Gotta Be" became a huge hit. It reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. It was also the most-played music video on VH1 that year. The song stayed popular for a long time. It even became a top 10 hit in the UK in 1999 after it was used in a car advertisement. Des'ree performed "You Gotta Be" on Saturday Night Live and at the closing ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Her second album, I Ain't Movin', was released in May 1994. It sold over 2.5 million copies around the world and received good reviews. Critics praised her "beautiful, dusky voice." The success of this album led to a tour with the singer Seal in North America.

After this, filmmaker Baz Luhrmann asked Des'ree to write a song for his 1996 movie Romeo + Juliet. She also had a small role in the film, singing her song "Kissing You" during a famous scene where the main characters meet. Critics loved "Kissing You," and it was nominated for an award.

In 1998, Des'ree's song "Life" became a big hit in Europe and Japan, reaching number 1 in many countries. The album it came from, Supernatural, was also very popular in Europe.

On February 16, 1999, Des'ree was named Best British Female Solo Artist at the Brit Awards. Later that year, she performed The Beatles' song "Blackbird" at a charity concert. She also worked with Ladysmith Black Mambazo on their cover of "Ain't No Sunshine." After this, she took a break from music to focus on her personal life.

Break and Return to Music

After releasing a collection of B-sides and live songs called Endangered Species in 2000, Des'ree sang on a charity song in 2001. Her fourth album, Dream Soldier, came out in March 2003. The main song from the album, "It's Okay," reached #69 in the UK. After this album, Des'ree left Sony and explored her interest in naturopathy and nutrition.

In 2008, Des'ree performed at the O2 Arena for a charity concert. She helped break a world record by leading 600,000 schoolchildren across the UK in singing her hit song, "You Gotta Be." In 2011, she sang a lullaby on a sleep therapy CD.

Des'ree's first album in sixteen years, A Love Story, was released on October 11, 2019. She started working on it in 2014 but took a break to care for her mother. Critics praised the album, noting the "subtle beauty and emotional power" of her voice.

Other Creative Work

Des'ree's songs have been featured in several movies:

• "Silent Hero" was in Spike Lee's 1995 film Clockers.
• "Feel So High" was in the 1996 film Set It Off.
• "Crazy Maze" was in the 1997 film Nothing to Lose.
• "You Gotta Be" was in The Next Karate Kid (1994) and The Object of My Affection (1998).

Personal Life

Des'ree is a vegetarian. In 2002, she took classes in photography and ceramics at the Camberwell College of Arts.

Awards and Recognition

Des'ree has received many awards for her music.

Brit Awards

• 1999: Won Best British Female Solo Artist.

Ivor Novello Awards

• 1995: Won Best Contemporary Song for "You Gotta Be."

World Music Awards

• 1999: Won World's Best Selling British Artist.

BMI Awards

Des'ree has won several BMI Awards for "You Gotta Be," recognizing its popularity and airplay.

Music Albums

Des'ree has released several studio albums and compilation albums.

Studio Albums

• Mind Adventures (1992)
• I Ain't Movin' (1994)
• Supernatural (1998)
• Dream Soldier (2003)
• A Love Story (2019)

Compilation Albums

• Mystic Mixes (1999)
• Endangered Species (2000)

Singles

Some of Des'ree's most well-known singles include:

• "Feel So High" (1991)
• "You Gotta Be" (1994)
• "I'm Kissing You" (1997)
• "Life" (1998)
• "It's Okay" (2003)

She has also been featured on songs by other artists, such as "Delicate" with Terence Trent D'Arby (1993) and "Ain't No Sunshine" with Ladysmith Black Mambazo (1999).

See also

In Spanish: Des'ree para niños