Axelle Red was born Fabienne Demal in Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium, on February 15, 1968. She is a singer-songwriter. Despite being flemish, she chose to write and perform songs in the french language. She has achieved great critical success in both Belgium and France. ...show more

Axelle Red was born Fabienne Demal in Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium, on February 15, 1968. She is a singer-songwriter. Despite being flemish, she chose to write and perform songs in the french language. She has achieved great critical success in both Belgium and France.

Her musical style varies from jazz to piano ballads. Biography Fabienne Demal, better known to European music fans as Axelle Red, was born in the north of Belgium, in the Flemish town of Hasselt, on February 15 1968. She was thus brought up in an environment where everyone spoke Dutch. But Axelle's parents were both originally from Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium, and at home they would speak to their daughter in French as well as Dutch.

So Axelle grew up speaking both languages fluently. (This talent would serve the singer well in later life, for she was able to record her songs in Dutch as well as French and build up a strong following of fans across the whole of Belgium). Axelle's parents would also encourage their daughter's passion for music, introducing her to the sound of legendary American soul stars such as Aretha Franklin - a singer whom Axelle Red still cites as one of her greatest musical influences. Axelle's passion for music intensified during her teenage years and, besides her love of soul music, she also became a committed Abba fan, learning all the Swedish supergroup's hits by heart. ...show less