Axelle Red
Encyclopedia
Axelle Red is a Belgian
singer-songwriter
.
, Flanders
, Belgium
, the daughter of Roland Demal, a solicitor in Hasselt and Councillor for the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD) in the City Council.
Nowadays a committed artist and a militant humanist, back in 1993 Axelle graduated from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
(VUB) as a lawyer, the same year her first album Sans Plus Attendre
was released which immediately resulted in her artistic break out in France, Switzerland, Canada and Belgium, where sales alone amounted to more than 200,000.
Her soul album, À Tâtons
, recorded in 1996 in Memphis
with musicians from the Stax label
, including Steve Cropper
and Isaac Hayes
, is a real eye-opener. Axelle received an International Federation of the Phonographic Industry platinum award for sales of more than 1 million and a year later, she sold out the Paris Olympia
for the first time.
Since 1997, Axelle has been an ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) standing up for the rights of children and women in war-torn regions and developing countries. That same year she devoted herself to the Ottawa Convention against land mines and in the poverty-stricken Haiti
; she came face to face with children who have been imprisoned in miserable conditions without trial.
In 1998, Axelle married, and sang the official hymn, ‘La Cour des Grands’, with Youssou N'Dour
in front of a few billion television viewers at the opening ceremony of the Football World Cup
in the Stade de France in Paris. Seven months pregnant with her daughter, Janelle, in her shows devoted to soul
and rhythm and blues
she was joined by her heroes, Wilson Pickett, Sam Moore, Eddy Floyd, Percy Sledge and Ann Peebles. ‘The Soul of Axelle Red’. Axelle supported Amnesty International
’s grand benefit concert in Paris although, under doctor’s orders, 7 months pregnant, she was advised not to perform herself. That same year saw the release of her Spanish album, Con Solo Pensarlo
.
In 1999, Axelle received the most important music award in France for female artist of the year, the Victoire de la Musique, while her third studio album, Toujours Moi
, was also released, written and produced by herself. It sold more than 800,000 albums. Once again, she returned to Asia
where she had travelled extensively as a student. In Laos
, one of the poorest Asiatic countries, Thailand
and Cambodia
she met women and children whose lives are a never-ending circle of violence, discrimination, prostitution and poverty. Axelle’s stinging words still ring through. ‘If I or my daughter had been born here then we wouldn’t be alive today’.
After more than 400 concerts, 2000 saw the recording of her first live album and DVD
during her French tour, Alive.
In 2002, her fourth studio album, Face A / Face B
, was released. The title refers to the vinyl records from the sixties labelled ‘fast and slow’ side (an up-tempo side for dancing and a ballad side for slows). It was a co-production with producer Al Stone (Jamiroquai, Bjork,…). Axelle’s subject matter reflected her strong commitments covering extremism, anti-globalisation, anti-personnel mines, child soldiers and drugs. As a result of her experiences in the field, Axelle returned to Cambodia as part of the campaign against antipersonnel mines, then arrived in the Mexican city of Chiapas right in the middle of a Zapatista
demonstration about the rights of the indigenous population, and further visited a Handicap International
project in Vietnam.
In 2003, her second daughter, Gloria, was born. A CD box was also released comprising three CDs with numerous previously unreleased tracks such as duets with Charles Aznavour
, Francis Cabrel
, Stephan Eicher
, Sylvie Vartan
, Arno
and Tom Barman
. Her duet with Renaud
, ‘Manhattan-Kaboul
’, had the most airplay in France that year and notched up sales of more than 800,000 singles, for which Axelle and Renaud received an NRJ music award
at Midem
in Cannes
.
After being forced to flee the riots in June 2004 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
, Axelle campaigned in July of that year in Niger
with UNICEF against female circumcision and child marriages. ‘French Soul
’, a first ‘Best Of’ was released with two previously unreleased songs ‘I Have A Dream
’ and ‘J'ai Fait Un Rêve’, an homage to Martin Luther King. Axelle directed the two videos herself. Pregnant from a third daughter, Billie, she ended the year with a lightning visit to Sri Lanka
with Unicef emergency aid for the people who had been hit so badly by the tsunami
.
In 2005, Axelle travelled to the north of Senegal
for the French Oxfam
/Agir Ici’s campaign, ‘Make noise till Hong Kong’. She spoke up for honest trade prices. In May, she joined Peter Gabriel
and Youssou N'Dour
at the Geneva
concert on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the United Nations
, at which Axelle is thanked by Kofi Annan
for her humanitarian work with the various NGOs. Together with Bob Geldof
, she is also the spokesperson for ‘Live 8
in France’ and performed on 2 July 2005 at the Palace of Versailles in front of 200,000 people during the benefit. At the European summit, Axelle officially asked Barroso, chairman of the European Commission
, to increase the budget for the development of the Third World countries.
2006 saw the release of Jardin Secret
, Axelle’s fifth studio album, a story of hope, optimism and positive thinking. Fleeing to a personal utopian world as a reaction to the pessimism in the world. The tracks were recorded in Willie Mitchell’s legendary Royal studios
in Memphis
(where Al Green
and Ann Peebles
recorded all their albums. In September 2006, Axelle received the highest artistic honour, becoming ‘Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’, presented to her by the French minister
of culture, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres
. She also took part in the 0110 concerts against intolerance and racism in Antwerp and Brussels
.
In 2007 Axelle visited poverty-stricken Sierra Leone for the Unicef campaign ‘Together, saving 4 million babies’, five years after the terrible civil war. Sierra Leone has the largest child mortality in the world. Genital mutilation of girls and violent ill-treatment of women are still a matter of course. In March 2007, Axelle spoke at the FIFDH (International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights) in Geneva together with the Cambodian director, Rithy Panh
, during a debate on prostitution. In December 2007, King Albert II
presented her with the medal of ‘Commandeur in de Kroonorde’ for her social commitment.
In May 2008, the University of Hasselt awarded Axelle the honorary title of ‘Doctor Honoris Causa’ for her social commitment as an artist and human rights’ activist. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Axelle was guest speaker at the Council of Europe
during a debate on ‘domestic violence
’. She also wrote her first album in English, Sisters & Empathy, and recorded it with her regular musicians, Michael Toles and Lester Snell from Memphis
and Jeff Anderson
and Damon Duewhite from New York
. However, this album saw Belgian musicians Mauro Pawlowski
, Tom Barman
, Geoffrey Burton en Steven Debruyn also collaborating.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
.
Biography
She was born at HasseltHasselt
Hasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg...
, Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the daughter of Roland Demal, a solicitor in Hasselt and Councillor for the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD) in the City Council.
Nowadays a committed artist and a militant humanist, back in 1993 Axelle graduated from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...
(VUB) as a lawyer, the same year her first album Sans Plus Attendre
Sans Plus Attendre
Sans Plus Attendre is a 1993 album by the Belgian singer Axelle Red.Four singles were taken from the album: "Elle danse seule", "Je t'attends", "Sensualité" and "Le Monde tourne mal".-Track listing:# "Elle danse seule" – 4:01...
was released which immediately resulted in her artistic break out in France, Switzerland, Canada and Belgium, where sales alone amounted to more than 200,000.
Her soul album, À Tâtons
À Tâtons
À Tâtons is the second album by the Belgian singer Axelle Red. It was released in 1996.Singles taken from À Tâtons were "Rien Que d'y Penser", "À Tâtons", "Rester Femme", "À Quoi Ca Sert" and "Ma Prière".-Track listing:...
, recorded in 1996 in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
with musicians from the Stax label
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
, including Steve Cropper
Steve Cropper
Steve Cropper , also known as Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T...
and Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
, is a real eye-opener. Axelle received an International Federation of the Phonographic Industry platinum award for sales of more than 1 million and a year later, she sold out the Paris Olympia
Paris Olympia
The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
for the first time.
Since 1997, Axelle has been an ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) standing up for the rights of children and women in war-torn regions and developing countries. That same year she devoted herself to the Ottawa Convention against land mines and in the poverty-stricken Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
; she came face to face with children who have been imprisoned in miserable conditions without trial.
In 1998, Axelle married, and sang the official hymn, ‘La Cour des Grands’, with Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer, percussionist and occasional actor. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, in Senegal and much of Africa, "perhaps the most famous singer alive." He helped develop a style of popular music in Senegal, known in the Serer language as mbalax, a type of music...
in front of a few billion television viewers at the opening ceremony of the Football World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
in the Stade de France in Paris. Seven months pregnant with her daughter, Janelle, in her shows devoted to soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
she was joined by her heroes, Wilson Pickett, Sam Moore, Eddy Floyd, Percy Sledge and Ann Peebles. ‘The Soul of Axelle Red’. Axelle supported Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
’s grand benefit concert in Paris although, under doctor’s orders, 7 months pregnant, she was advised not to perform herself. That same year saw the release of her Spanish album, Con Solo Pensarlo
Con Solo Pensarlo
Con Solo Pensarlo is a 1998 album by the Belgian singer Axelle Red. The albums contains Spanish versions of French songs that appeared on Axelle Red's two previous albums, Sans Plus Attendre and À Tâtons....
.
In 1999, Axelle received the most important music award in France for female artist of the year, the Victoire de la Musique, while her third studio album, Toujours Moi
Toujours Moi
Toujours Moi is a 1999 album by the Belgian singer Axelle Red.The singles released from this album were "Parce Que C'est Toi", "Bimbo A Moi", "Faire des Mamours", "Ce Matin", "Toujours Moi" and "J'ai Jamais Dit ".-Track listing:...
, was also released, written and produced by herself. It sold more than 800,000 albums. Once again, she returned to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
where she had travelled extensively as a student. In Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, one of the poorest Asiatic countries, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
she met women and children whose lives are a never-ending circle of violence, discrimination, prostitution and poverty. Axelle’s stinging words still ring through. ‘If I or my daughter had been born here then we wouldn’t be alive today’.
After more than 400 concerts, 2000 saw the recording of her first live album and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
during her French tour, Alive.
In 2002, her fourth studio album, Face A / Face B
Face A / Face B
Face A / Face B is a 2002 album by the Belgian singer Axelle Red.The singles released from the album were "Je Me Fâche", "Venez Vers Moi", "Pas Maintenant", "Toujours" and "Gloria".-Track listing:...
, was released. The title refers to the vinyl records from the sixties labelled ‘fast and slow’ side (an up-tempo side for dancing and a ballad side for slows). It was a co-production with producer Al Stone (Jamiroquai, Bjork,…). Axelle’s subject matter reflected her strong commitments covering extremism, anti-globalisation, anti-personnel mines, child soldiers and drugs. As a result of her experiences in the field, Axelle returned to Cambodia as part of the campaign against antipersonnel mines, then arrived in the Mexican city of Chiapas right in the middle of a Zapatista
Zapatista Army of National Liberation
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is a revolutionary leftist group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico....
demonstration about the rights of the indigenous population, and further visited a Handicap International
Handicap International
Handicap International is a non-governmental organization created in 1982 to provide help in refugee camps in Cambodia and Thailand. Based in Belgium and France, it has since opened branches in six other countries : Switzerland, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and the United States...
project in Vietnam.
In 2003, her second daughter, Gloria, was born. A CD box was also released comprising three CDs with numerous previously unreleased tracks such as duets with Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour, OC is an Armenian-French singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world...
, Francis Cabrel
Francis Cabrel
Francis Cabrel is a well-known French singer-songwriter and guitarist. Inspired heavily by Bob Dylan, he has released a number of albums falling mostly within the realm of folk, with occasional forays into blues or country. Several of his songs, such as "L'encre de tes yeux" and "Petite Marie"...
, Stephan Eicher
Stephan Eicher
Stephan Eicher is a Swiss singer.His songs are sung in a variety of languages, including French, German, English, Italian, Swiss-German, and Romanche and sometimes he even uses different languages in the same piece.His success started in German-speaking countries in the 1980s when as part of the...
, Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan is a French singer. She was one of the first rock girls in France. Vartan was the most productive and active of the yé-yé style artists, considered as the toughest-sounding of those. Her performance often featured elaborate show-dance choreography. She made many appearances on French...
, Arno
Arno
The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber.- Source and route :The river originates on Mount Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a southward curve...
and Tom Barman
Tom Barman
Tom Barman is a Belgian musician and film director.Barman studied at the film school of St.-Lucas in Brussels, but didn't finish his studies because of he wished to pursue a career in music. He began by forming the rock band, Deus in Antwerp, in 1989...
. Her duet with Renaud
Renaud
Renaud, born Renaud Séchan, is a French singer, songwriter and actor.Renaud may also refer to:* Renaud , a male French given name* Renaud , a 1783 opera by Antonio Sacchini* Renaud, Quebec, part of Laval, Quebec...
, ‘Manhattan-Kaboul
Manhattan-Kaboul
"Manhattan-Kaboul" is a French song written by Renaud and composed by Jean-Pierre Bucolo, sung by Renaud in duo with Axelle Red, in the album Boucan d'enfer, released in 2002. It was written in the aftermath of the incidents of September 11, 2001 and the War in Afghanistan...
’, had the most airplay in France that year and notched up sales of more than 800,000 singles, for which Axelle and Renaud received an NRJ music award
NRJ Music Awards
The NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
at Midem
Midem
-MIDEM:Short for Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale, MIDEM is the world's largest music industry trade fair, which has been held annually at and around the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, since 1967...
in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
.
After being forced to flee the riots in June 2004 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, Axelle campaigned in July of that year in Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
with UNICEF against female circumcision and child marriages. ‘French Soul
French Soul
-Track listing:CD 1# "Sensualité" — 3:53# "Elle danse seule" — 4:04# "Je t'attends" — 3:33# "Le Monde tourne mal" — 3:49# "À Tâtons" — 3:30# "Rien que d'y penser" — 3:08# "Ma Prière" — 4:26# "À quoi ça sert" — 3:37# "Rester femme" — 3:51# "Ce Matin" — 2:33...
’, a first ‘Best Of’ was released with two previously unreleased songs ‘I Have A Dream
I Have a Dream
"I Have a Dream" is a 17-minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination...
’ and ‘J'ai Fait Un Rêve’, an homage to Martin Luther King. Axelle directed the two videos herself. Pregnant from a third daughter, Billie, she ended the year with a lightning visit to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
with Unicef emergency aid for the people who had been hit so badly by the tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
.
In 2005, Axelle travelled to the north of Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
for the French Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
/Agir Ici’s campaign, ‘Make noise till Hong Kong’. She spoke up for honest trade prices. In May, she joined Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
and Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer, percussionist and occasional actor. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, in Senegal and much of Africa, "perhaps the most famous singer alive." He helped develop a style of popular music in Senegal, known in the Serer language as mbalax, a type of music...
at the Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
concert on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, at which Axelle is thanked by Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
for her humanitarian work with the various NGOs. Together with Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
, she is also the spokesperson for ‘Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
in France’ and performed on 2 July 2005 at the Palace of Versailles in front of 200,000 people during the benefit. At the European summit, Axelle officially asked Barroso, chairman of the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, to increase the budget for the development of the Third World countries.
2006 saw the release of Jardin Secret
Jardin secret
Jardin secret is the sixth studio album by Belgian singer Axelle Red. It was released in October 2006."Temps pour Nous" was the first single released from the Jardin Secret.-Track listing:# "Temps pour nous" — 3:16# "Changer ma vie" — 3:17...
, Axelle’s fifth studio album, a story of hope, optimism and positive thinking. Fleeing to a personal utopian world as a reaction to the pessimism in the world. The tracks were recorded in Willie Mitchell’s legendary Royal studios
Royal Studios
Royal Studios is a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Established in 1956, it is one of the oldest continuously operated music recording studios in the world....
in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
(where Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
and Ann Peebles
Ann Peebles
Ann Peebles is an African American singer-songwriter who gained celebrity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s on the Hi Records label...
recorded all their albums. In September 2006, Axelle received the highest artistic honour, becoming ‘Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’, presented to her by the French minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
of culture, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres
Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres
Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres , often known as RDDV, is a French politician, France's Minister of Culture from 2004 to 2007...
. She also took part in the 0110 concerts against intolerance and racism in Antwerp and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
In 2007 Axelle visited poverty-stricken Sierra Leone for the Unicef campaign ‘Together, saving 4 million babies’, five years after the terrible civil war. Sierra Leone has the largest child mortality in the world. Genital mutilation of girls and violent ill-treatment of women are still a matter of course. In March 2007, Axelle spoke at the FIFDH (International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights) in Geneva together with the Cambodian director, Rithy Panh
Rithy Panh
Rithy Panh is an internationally and critically acclaimed Cambodian documentary film director and screenwriter.The French-schooled director's films focus on the aftermath of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia...
, during a debate on prostitution. In December 2007, King Albert II
Albert II of Belgium
Albert II is the current reigning King of the Belgians, a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
presented her with the medal of ‘Commandeur in de Kroonorde’ for her social commitment.
In May 2008, the University of Hasselt awarded Axelle the honorary title of ‘Doctor Honoris Causa’ for her social commitment as an artist and human rights’ activist. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Axelle was guest speaker at the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
during a debate on ‘domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
’. She also wrote her first album in English, Sisters & Empathy, and recorded it with her regular musicians, Michael Toles and Lester Snell from Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
and Jeff Anderson
Jeff Anderson
Jeffrey Allan "Jeff" Anderson is an American film actor, film director, and screenwriter best known for starring as Randal Graves in Clerks and Clerks II...
and Damon Duewhite from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. However, this album saw Belgian musicians Mauro Pawlowski
Mauro Pawlowski
Mauro Antonio Pawlowski is one of the key figures in the Belgian contemporary music scene. He was born in Koersel and is of Italian and Polish descent....
, Tom Barman
Tom Barman
Tom Barman is a Belgian musician and film director.Barman studied at the film school of St.-Lucas in Brussels, but didn't finish his studies because of he wished to pursue a career in music. He began by forming the rock band, Deus in Antwerp, in 1989...
, Geoffrey Burton en Steven Debruyn also collaborating.
Albums
- 1993 : Sans plus attendreSans Plus AttendreSans Plus Attendre is a 1993 album by the Belgian singer Axelle Red.Four singles were taken from the album: "Elle danse seule", "Je t'attends", "Sensualité" and "Le Monde tourne mal".-Track listing:# "Elle danse seule" – 4:01...
- 1996 : À TâtonsÀ TâtonsÀ Tâtons is the second album by the Belgian singer Axelle Red. It was released in 1996.Singles taken from À Tâtons were "Rien Que d'y Penser", "À Tâtons", "Rester Femme", "À Quoi Ca Sert" and "Ma Prière".-Track listing:...
- 1998 : Con solo pensarloCon Solo PensarloCon Solo Pensarlo is a 1998 album by the Belgian singer Axelle Red. The albums contains Spanish versions of French songs that appeared on Axelle Red's two previous albums, Sans Plus Attendre and À Tâtons....
- 1999 : Toujours MoiToujours MoiToujours Moi is a 1999 album by the Belgian singer Axelle Red.The singles released from this album were "Parce Que C'est Toi", "Bimbo A Moi", "Faire des Mamours", "Ce Matin", "Toujours Moi" and "J'ai Jamais Dit ".-Track listing:...
- 2000 : Alive (in concert)Alive (in concert)Alive is a live album by Belgian artist Axelle Red. It was released in 2000.-Track listing:#"Sensualité"#"Ce Matin"#"À Tâtons"#"À quoi ça sert ?"#"Elle danse seule"#"Le Monde tourne mal"#"Just the 2 of Us"#"À 82 Ans"...
- 2002 : Face A / Face BFace A / Face BFace A / Face B is a 2002 album by the Belgian singer Axelle Red.The singles released from the album were "Je Me Fâche", "Venez Vers Moi", "Pas Maintenant", "Toujours" and "Gloria".-Track listing:...
- 2006 : Jardin SecretJardin secretJardin secret is the sixth studio album by Belgian singer Axelle Red. It was released in October 2006."Temps pour Nous" was the first single released from the Jardin Secret.-Track listing:# "Temps pour nous" — 3:16# "Changer ma vie" — 3:17...
- 2008 : Sisters & Empathy
- 2011 : Un coeur comme le mien
Compilations and other recordings
- 2003 : Axelle Red (longboxLongboxA longbox is a form of exterior paperboard packaging for musical compact discs in widespread use in the 1980s and early 1990s in North America.- Background :...
3 CDs) - 2004 : French SoulFrench Soul-Track listing:CD 1# "Sensualité" — 3:53# "Elle danse seule" — 4:04# "Je t'attends" — 3:33# "Le Monde tourne mal" — 3:49# "À Tâtons" — 3:30# "Rien que d'y penser" — 3:08# "Ma Prière" — 4:26# "À quoi ça sert" — 3:37# "Rester femme" — 3:51# "Ce Matin" — 2:33...
(best-of 2 CDs) - 2004 : French soul (DVD containing the concert at Bataclan and all her music videos)
- 2007 : Le Tour de mon Jardin Secret (DVD of the 2006/2007 concert tour)
Singles
- 1983 : "Little Girls" (Belgium only, under the name of Fabby)
- 1985 : "Back to Tokyo" (Belgium only, under the name of Axelle)
- 1989 : "Kennedy Boulevard" (under the name of Axelle)
- 1991 : "Aretha et Moi" (under the name of Axelle)
- 1992 : "Elle danse seule"
- 1993 : "Je t'attends"
- 1993 : "SensualitéSensualité"Sensualité" is a 1993 song recorded by the Belgian singer Axelle Red. It was actually the third single from her debut album, Sans plus attendre, and was released on 10 October 1993, but the first single in France. In 1994, the song was very successful in this country and is generally considered as...
" - 1994 : "Le monde tourne mal"
- 1996 : "À tâtons"
- 1997 : "Rien que d'y penser"
- 1997 : "Mon Café" (Belgium only)
- 1997 : "Ma prière"
- 1998 : "À quoi ça sert"
- 1998 : "Rester femme"
- 1998 : "La Cour des grands" (duet with Youssou N'DourYoussou N'DourYoussou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer, percussionist and occasional actor. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, in Senegal and much of Africa, "perhaps the most famous singer alive." He helped develop a style of popular music in Senegal, known in the Serer language as mbalax, a type of music...
, official song of the FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
) - 1999 : "Ce Matin"
- 1999 : "Faire des mamours"
- 1999 : "Parce que c'est toi"
- 2000 : "Bimbo à moi"
- 2000 : "J'ai jamais dit" (radio mix)
- 2001 : "Aretha et Moi" (live)
- 2002 : "Manhattan-KaboulManhattan-Kaboul"Manhattan-Kaboul" is a French song written by Renaud and composed by Jean-Pierre Bucolo, sung by Renaud in duo with Axelle Red, in the album Boucan d'enfer, released in 2002. It was written in the aftermath of the incidents of September 11, 2001 and the War in Afghanistan...
" (duet with RenaudRenaudRenaud, born Renaud Séchan, is a French singer, songwriter and actor.Renaud may also refer to:* Renaud , a male French given name* Renaud , a 1783 opera by Antonio Sacchini* Renaud, Quebec, part of Laval, Quebec...
) - 2002 : "Je me fâche"
- 2003 : "Pas maintenant"
- 2003 : "Venez vers moi" (Belgium only)
- 2003 : "Toujours"
- 2004 : "Gloria"
- 2004 : "Je pense à toi"
- 2005 : "J'ai fait un rêve"
- 2006 : "Changer ma vie"
- 2006 : "Temps pour nous"
- 2007 : "Si tu savais"
- 2007 : "Naïve"
- 2007 : "Romantique à mort" (Belgium only)
Awards
- Victoires de la musiqueVictoires de la MusiqueVictoires de la musique , is an annual French award ceremony that recognizes the best musical artists of the year.- Male artist of the year :*1985 : Michel Jonasz*1986 : Jean-Jacques Goldman*1987 : Johnny Hallyday...
:- Female artist of the year (1999)
- Original song of the year (2003) for Manhattan-KaboulManhattan-Kaboul"Manhattan-Kaboul" is a French song written by Renaud and composed by Jean-Pierre Bucolo, sung by Renaud in duo with Axelle Red, in the album Boucan d'enfer, released in 2002. It was written in the aftermath of the incidents of September 11, 2001 and the War in Afghanistan...
with RenaudRenaudRenaud, born Renaud Séchan, is a French singer, songwriter and actor.Renaud may also refer to:* Renaud , a male French given name* Renaud , a 1783 opera by Antonio Sacchini* Renaud, Quebec, part of Laval, Quebec...
(lyics: Renaud Séchan - composer/arranger: Jean-Pierre Bucolo)
- NRJ RadioNRJ RadioNRJ French multimedia group based in Paris. Since its foundation in 1981 as a French pop music radio station it has grown and evolved to become the NRJ Group...
's NRJ Music AwardsNRJ Music AwardsThe NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
:- Best French song (2003) for Manhattan-Kaboul with Renaud
- Best French duo (2003) with Renaud
External links
- Official website
- Respect to Axelle : French unofficial website
- Biography of Axelle Red, from Radio France InternationaleRadio France InternationaleRadio France Internationale was created in 1975 as part of Radio France by the Government of France, and replaced the Poste Colonial , Paris Mondial , Radio Paris , RTF Radio Paris and ORTF Radio Paris...