Biography

Axelle Red was born as Fabienne Demal on 15 February 1968 in Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium, the daughter of Roland Demal. She has lived in Paris and currently lives in a village near Brussels. In 1983, aged 14, Fabienne Demal produced her first single, "Little Girls", using the artist name « Fabby ». She graduated from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) as a lawyer in 1993; in 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 Records label, including Steve Cropperand Isaac Hayes, was a great success. Axelle received an International Federation of the Phonographic Industry platinum award for sales of more than 1 million; a year later she sold out the Paris Olympia for the first time. In 1998, Axelle married Filip Vanes (still her husband and manager at Music & Roses). She also sang the official hymn, "La Cour des Grands", with Youssou N'Dour at the opening ceremony of the Football World Cup in the Stade de France outside Paris, before a television audience of over a billion people. 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. 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, Björk,…). Axelle's subject matter reflected her strong commitments covering extremism, anti-globalisation, anti-personnel mines, child soldiers and drugs. 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. In 2004, Axelle made her acting debut in Rudolf Mestdagh's film Ellektra. In 2005, 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 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..en