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Irène Major
Irène Major
Irene Major in Dassault Falcon 2000 private jet
Born (1979-10-22) 22 October 1979 (age 45)
Cameroon
Occupations
  • Singer
  • businesswoman
  • model
  • human rights activist
Years active1994–present
Musical career
Genres
  • Pop

Irène Major (born 22 October 1979) is a British-Cameroonian singer, model and activist.

Personal life

Irène Major was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon to a soldier father and seamstress mother; the family was "middle-class but poor".[1] Growing up, she lived in various locations in Cameroon due to her father's military postings.[citation needed]

Irène is married to oil and gas tycoon Sam Malin who is of dual Canadian and British citizenship. She has eight children.[citation needed] She is currently based in the UK, although she was previously based in Paris.[citation needed] She holds the Scottish feudal courtesy title of Lady Hailes (her husband being Lord Hailes), these being attached to their purchase of a "13th century ruined castle in Scotland".[2].[3][4][5]

In 2012, they purchased Ingress Abbey, subsequently converted for use as a family home.[6]

The European Communication School (ECS) awarded to Irène an Honorary Degree of Master in Communication in 2017.[citation needed]

Career

In Cameroon, Irène was a regular feature of the catwalk (she was Miss Lions Cameroon 1995), an occasional radio presenter and had parts in various films.[citation needed] From Cameroon, she moved first to Paris, France and then to the United Kingdom.[7]

Internationally, Irène has worked as a model and in film, TV shows, music videos and commercials, with roles credited and uncredited.[citation needed] She has appeared in Die Another Day, Ali G Indahouse, World of Our Own – Westlife, Black Betty by Tom Jones,[citation needed] as the presenter of Ess'mode par Irene Major,[8] a guest judge on The One,[9] and as an on-screen hostess on the V Graham Norton show.[10] In 2015, she appeared in Britain's Flashiest Families, in 2016, in Shock Docs: Britain's Pushiest Parents[11] and Too Posh To Parent,[citation needed] and in 2017, Billionaire Babies: 24 Carat Kids.[citation needed] Irène is the model for a display mannequin in the Drama Diva collection by Rootstein.[12][13]

Philanthropy and Causes

Irène Major is involved with various philanthropic and human rights causes. In 2008, she founded IM Life, a charity with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa and the western Indian Ocean, to provide support, including food, shelter, training and logistics support, to those in desperate need.[14] She is also the founder of the Gay in Africa Foundation, a campaign which exists to boost awareness of the persecution and suffering of the African LGBT community and fight against homophobia and discrimination against the LGBT in Africa.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21]

Irène is an ambassador for International Harbor, a charity founded by former US special operations veterans dedicated to eliminating human trafficking and abduction through advocacy and action [22] and works with other charities including African Revival and several organisations combatting FGM in sub-Saharan Africa.

Major

Irène set up the pop group Major in 2012 with her sister Elsa. They have released a number of songs and videos:

Love Me Boy (written by Pete Kirtley)
Romeo (written by Pete Bellotte and Sylvester Levay, original performer: Donna Summer)[23]
Birds (written by Irene Major)[24]
Cannes Cannes Cannes (written by Pete Hammond and Jeff Chegwin)[25]
Umqombothi - African Heroes (original version written by Sello "Chicco" Twala and Attie van Wyk and performed by Yvonne Chaka Chaka)[26]

Major toured the UK in 2013 and, in 2014, Major participated in The X Factor (UK series 11) and made it through to the final 28 contestants (the six-seat challenge at bootcamp) with Louis Walsh as mentor.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/parenting/meet-lady-manor-posed-playboy-four-months-having-eighth-child
  2. ^ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/parenting/meet-lady-manor-posed-playboy-four-months-having-eighth-child
  3. ^ Sturt, Sarah. "Meet the owners of Ingress Abbey in Greenhithe". Kent Life. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  4. ^ "Meet the new owners of Burke's Peerage". Tatler. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  5. ^ Wallop, Harry (2017-04-15). "Welcome to our stately pile". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  6. ^ http://www.kent-life.co.uk/people/meet_the_owners_of_ingress_abbey_in_greenhithe_1_3759918 Meet the owners of Ingress Abbey in Greenhithe
  7. ^ Greg Miles. "Sisters are doing it for themselves in a Major way". Kent News.
  8. ^ "Les sœurs Major à la porte de la RTA". Actualité en direct avec L'Express de Madagascar. 4 March 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  9. ^ Prezzo hooks up with Cameroonian beauty - Entertainment News
  10. ^ V Graham Norton episodes 2.27 2.31, 2.40, 2.41, 3.36, 3.43, 5.39 amongst others
  11. ^ "Britain's Pushiest Parents". Channel 5. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  12. ^ "Rootstein Display Mannequins - DI01". Rootstein Display Mannequins. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  13. ^ "The World's Best Photos of irene and rootstein - Flickr Hive Mind". hiveminer.com. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  14. ^ "Singing sisters aim for major success".
  15. ^ "Irene Major Launches Campaign to Bring Awareness to LGBT Abuse in Africa".
  16. ^ "L'Egalité De Droit Face A L'Amour Au Cameroun By Irène Major".
  17. ^ Many, Abesi; o (2017-06-14). "Model Citizen: Irene Major Sheds Light on LGBT Abuse and Violence in Africa. | Think Pynk". THINKPYNK.COM. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  18. ^ Championing LGBT rights in Africa
  19. ^ Use of culture to deny universal rights is unacceptable
  20. ^ "Kinnaka's Blog". Kinnaka's Blog. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  21. ^ Sellu, Katie (2017-07-13). "Irene Major's Faith Is Re- Shaping Tradition". Her Faith. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  22. ^ "The Queen of Ingress". ModeMaison PR Publishing Group.
  23. ^ Abigail Dede (12 September 2013). "Major - The beautiful and bi-lingual music duo return". FLAVOURMAG.
  24. ^ "Nothing found for Magazine 4574334751 Tags Major". Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  25. ^ Major Empire. "Major releases new single - Cannes Cannes Cannes". PRLog.
  26. ^ Major Empire. "Major Releases Single: Umqombothi - African Heroes". PRLog.
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