Karl Wolf

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Karl Wolf
Birth name Carl Abou Samah
Also known as The Wolf
Born April 18, 1979
Origin Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genre(s) Pop , R&B
Occupation(s) Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer, Musician
Instrument(s) Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Years active 2001 - present
Label(s) LW Records , LW Entertainment
Website Official Site

Karl Wolf (real name Carl Abou Samah)[1] is a Lebanon-born, Canadian musician based in Montreal, Quebec. He is a singer, songwriter and producer since 2001. However his first solo album release was Face Behind The Face on MapleNationwide/Universal in January 2006. He has followed that with a successful second album Bite The Bullet in November 2007.

Contents

[edit] Earlier Years

Karl Wolf has been writing and co-producing since 2001. The 2001 hit album from Gabrielle Destroismaisons generated two singles co-written by him that reached No. 1 on the BDS Francophone Charts, and the disc earned him a Felix at the L'ADISQ Awards for "Best Mix and Sound of the Year."

His work with Gabrielle Destroismaisons brought Karl Wolf to the attention of Antoine Sicotte, of the top-selling Canadian pop band Sky, where he was recruited as a singer-songwriter becoming Sky's new lead singer in 2002. [2]. Wolf co-wrote and co-produced the third Sky album, Picture Perfect (on Sextant/EMI), with strong airplay across Canada. Sicotte and Wolf cooperated on the hugely successful Star Académie reality TV show in Quebec. The subsequent album was the biggest-selling album in Canada in 2003, notching a phenomenal sales in Canadian terms and earning Karl Wolf a SOCAN Award for Most Popular Song. A Star Académie II sequel in 2004 was another big success, the album going double-platinum.

[edit] LW Entertainment / LW Records

i Love you LW Records and LW Entertainment (with LW standing for Lone Wolf) are the producing wing of Karl Wolf's operations. (contact e-mail info@karlwolf.com ). In fact, before becoming a successful solo artist, Karl Wolf got his break initially as a music songwriter / producer, making himself one of the youngest songwriter / producers in Canada. At the young age of 22, he became the winner of "Best Mix and Sound of the Year" at L'ADISQ (Quebec Grammy's), for producing multi award winning Gabrielle Destroismaisons. Also he was the recipient of the SOCAN Award for co-writing "The most popular song" of 2004 on 'Star Académie'.

Karl Wolf has also produced and/or composed for Quebec sensation Mitsou, for Emily, a Quebec, Canada pop / R&B act, had a stint as vocalist with the rap group Dubmatique and produced as well the solo album of Jerome-Philippe (aka Disoul from Dubmatique). More recently he cooperated with Indian successful artist Sukhbir, and with popular Quebec MC / MusiquePlus VJ Malik Shaheed on the latter's album. He is also featured in Malik Shaheed's bilimgual French/English song release "Get Down / Respire".[3]

Karl Wolf collaborated with Choclair in his single "Desensitize" and with Culture in his single "Africa". He is featured in "Hollow Girl"[4] with Canadian rapper Striger and in "Weekend"[5] with Canadian rapper Choclair. He has also released in Quebec a bilingual (English / French) remake of his all-English lyrics successful hit "Butterflies" with the Quebec singer Eve

[edit] Album Face Behind The Face

He released his debut solo album Face Behind the Face"[6] in January 2006. Since its release, the album broke in the Canadian Top 100 sales chart and spawned three hit singles, "Butterflies"[7] and "Desensitize"[8], with the latter track (featuring hip hop star Choclair) reaching the BDS Top 40 charts and "Referee".

  • Intro
  • Life on a Break
  • Face Behind the Face
  • Desensitize
  • Hollow Girl
  • Bootyful
  • Referee
  • Princess
  • Butterflies
  • Cuz I Luv U
  • Just a Moment Away
  • Summer Days (in Beirut)
  • Radio
  • Life
  • Desensitize (club mix) Choclair / Karl Wolf

[edit] Singles

  • Butterflies
  • Desensitize
  • Referee

[edit] Album Bite The Bullet

Second studio album by the Canadian singer was released on 27 November 2007

  • Africa (featuring Culture)
  • She Kicks In The Bass
  • Crazy Things
  • Like This
  • Carrera
  • Bite The Bullet
  • Silent Type
  • Professin My Love
  • She Wants To Know
  • Over
  • Invader
  • Makes Me Wonder
  • Hey Girl
  • Africa (Video Version)
  • Africa (Club Remix)

[edit] Single

  • Africa (featuring Culture)
  • Why
  • Fortune Cookie
  • Butterflies (French Version - ft Eve)
  • Sexy Back Remix
  • Lebanon
  • Paradise

[edit] Awards/Nominations

Felix Award in 2001 for Best Mix and Sound of the Year (won)

SOCAN award in 2004 for “Best Pop Song” Star Académie (won)

Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year (nominated)

Sound of blackness award for best R&B act (won)

Sound of blackness award for best R&B album (nominated)

Sound of blackness award for best R&B artist (nominated)

Sound of blackness award for best R&B song (nominated)

[edit] International Appearances

Face Behind The Face was also licensed internationally, and has made Karl Wolf an instant star in the Middle East. "'Butterflies' with an oriental theme was at No. 1 for eight consecutive weeks on the radio there. Through his own family's Lebanese origin, he knew the consequences of war and violence, as his family was forced to leave their native Lebanon for Canada when Karl was just three. His track "Summer Days (In Beirut)"[9] had a positive impact there in very difficult times.

He has achieved success in the United Arab Emirates as well, where he had spent a lot of time in his childhood. He was confirmed to open for Jennifer Lopez on her Dubai gig[10]. However the event was not to be as she decided to cancel that leg of the tour.

However Karl Wolf just weeks later opened for international artist Mary J. Blige.[11].

Karl Wolf was one of the artists featured in the launching day for MTV Arabia alongside Akon and Ludacris. Furthermore his single "Africa" became the first ever video clip broadcast on the new station. Akon mentioned at his press conference later that he was going to record a song with Karl Wolf.

Karl Wolf was one of the artists who performed live at the Radio 1 concert at Dubai Tennis Stadium, Dubai UAE on 19 April 2008

[edit] References

  1. ^ Today's Outlook Magazine :: Lebanese Abroad
  2. ^ MuchMusic.com | Artists | Sky
  3. ^ YouTube - Malik Shaheed featuring Karl Wolf - Get Down/Respire
  4. ^ YouTube - Karl Wolf - Hollow Girl
  5. ^ Vidéos MySpaceTV : Choclair F. Karl Wolf - Weekend par Cazhhmere
  6. ^ Karl Wolf Biography
  7. ^ YouTube - Karl Wolf - Butterflies
  8. ^ YouTube - Karl Wolf Feat. Choclair - Desensitize
  9. ^ YouTube - Summer Days in Beirut
  10. ^ [JLo.net] Montreal singer, Karl Wolf, to open for Jennifer Lopez in Dubai - JLOF - Jennifer Lopez Forums / Message Board by JLo.net
  11. ^ Gulfnews: Karl Wolf will give you Butterflies

[edit] External links

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