Hazel Kaneswaran facts for kids

Hazel Kaneswaran (born 1977) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and TV star. She has been part of the Irish music scene since 1996. Her siblings include model Gail and singers Siva from The Wanted and David from Zoo.

Early Life: Hazel's Journey

Hazel Kaneswaran grew up in Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland. Her father was from Sri Lanka and her mother was Irish. Her dad cleaned windows and taught her to love soul music.

When her father sadly passed away at 44, Hazel took on a lot of responsibility. She helped her mother raise her six younger brothers. She also worked at a refrigerator factory to help support her family.

Dove: A Music Group's Story

Hazel's sister, Gail, told rapper Graham Cruz about Hazel. Graham then asked Hazel to work with him. They teamed up with Donald Ade-Onojobi to form a soul-pop group.

They first called themselves Dubh, which means "black" in the Irish language. But people found it hard to say, so they changed it to "Dove".

Dove's most famous song was "Don't Dream". It was a cover of a 1986 hit by Crowded House called "Don't Dream It's Over". This song came out on August 16, 1999. "Don't Dream" reached number 6 on the Irish music charts. Dove was also nominated for three awards that year. Even though they were big in Ireland, the song did not do as well in the UK.

Popstars: The Rivals and New Beginnings

In 2002, Hazel tried out for a TV music show called "Popstars: The Rivals". She traveled to Glasgow for the auditions. She sang "Love And Affection" and impressed the judges, Louis Walsh and Geri Halliwell. She made it to the final round!

However, it turned out she was ten days older than the show's age limit. So, she could not compete. Soon after, in October 2002, she welcomed her baby boy. The winners of Popstars: The Rivals went on to form the famous girl band Girls Aloud. Kimberley Walsh took Hazel's spot in the group. Hazel stayed friends with Louis Walsh, who later asked her to write songs for Jedward.

Hazel on Television

After singing, Hazel became a judge on TV. In 2004, she was a judge on the third season of "You're A Star". This show was on the Irish TV station Raidió Teilifís Éireann.

She also helped present the 2005 Meteor Ireland Music Awards. You might have seen her on other TV shows too, like Off The Rails, Harry Hill's TV Burp, and The Panel.

Eurosong and Eurovision 2014

In November 2013, it was announced that Hazel would help mentor an act for Eurosong 2014. This was Ireland's national contest to pick a song for the Eurovision Song Contest 2014.

On February 5, 2014, Hazel announced her choice. She picked an Irish singer named Can-linn with vocals by Kasey Smith. Can-linn's first song, "Heartbeat", was released on February 21, 2014. This song won the national final! It then represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen.

Helping Others: Charity Work

Hazel has also done a lot of work for charity. In May 2000, she and other "Dove" members raised money for the People in Need Trust. They exchanged kisses for donations on Grafton Street in Dublin. She also took part in that year's telethon.

In September 2010, she joined other famous people to help the Irish Heart Foundation. She joined former Miss World Rosanna Davison and TV presenters. They took part in the "Go Red For Women" campaign. This campaign aimed to teach women about heart disease.

In 2010, she also helped a campaign for Irish businesses. It encouraged them to give some of their sales profits to the GI Unit at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin.