Axel

Axel Fernando Witteveen Pardo, mononymously known as Axel, is an award-winning Argentine singer-songwriter whose repertoire focuses mainly on Latin pop and romantic ballads. Born on January 1, 1977, in Rafael Calzada, Buenos Aires, he began taking piano lessons at a very young age and attended a conservatory right up until his high school years. After graduating, he resumed his piano studies and started working as a reporter on cable TV, which eventually allowed him to perform his songs in front of an audience. La Clave Para Conquistarte, his studio debut, appeared in 1999 via Sony Music Argentina and was followed by Mi Forma de Amar in 2001. Released in 2003, the single "Amo," featured in the album of the same name, received heavy airplay on Argentine radio and became his first major hit. His next album, Hoy, was released in 2005 and yielded the singles "Tu Amor por Siempre," "¿Qué Estás Buscando?," and "Miradas." Over the next few years, Axel established himself as one of the most popular singer-songwriters in Latin America, winning the Carlos Gardel award twice for his albums Universo (2008) and Tus Ojos, Mis Ojos (2014) and serving as a judge on the reality singing competitions La Voz and Elegidos (La Música en Tus Manos). In 2018, his eighth studio effort Ser (2017) earned Axel his first Latin Grammy nomination in the category of Best Contemporary Vocal Pop Album. Later that year, he issued the single "No Es No," a duet with Soledad that tried to raise awareness about gender violence.