French (le français [lə fʁɑ̃sɛ] or la langue française [la lɑ̃ɡ fʁɑ̃sɛz]) is a Romance language, belonging to the Indo-European family. It descended from the spoken Latin language of the Roman Empire, as did languages such as Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, Catalan and others. French has evolved from Gallo-Romance, the spoken Latin in Gaul, and more specifically in Northern Gaul. Its closest relatives are the other langues d'oïl—languages historically spoken in northern France and in southern Belgium, which French (Francien) has largely supplanted. French was also influenced by native Celtic languages of Northern Roman Gaul like Gallia Belgica and by the (Germanic) Frankish language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders. Today, owing to France's past overseas expansion, there are numerous French-based creole languages, most notably Haitian Creole. A French-speaking person or nation may be referred to as Francophone in both English and French.
French is the official language in 29 countries, most of which are members of la francophonie, the community of French-speaking countries. It is spoken as a first language in France, southern Belgium, western Switzerland, Monaco, certain parts of Canada and the United States, and by various communities elsewhere. As of 2015, 40% of the francophone population (including L2 and partial speakers) is in Europe, 35% in sub-Saharan Africa, 15% in North Africa and the Middle East, 8% in the Americas, and 1% in Asia and Oceania.
Suede /ˈsweɪd/ is a type of leather with a napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, shirts, purses, furniture and other items. The term comes from the French "gants de Suède", which literally means "gloves from Sweden".
Suede leather is made from the underside of the skin, primarily lamb, although goat, calf and deer are commonly used. Splits from thick hides of cow and deer are also sueded, but, due to the fiber content, have a shaggy nap. Because suede does not include the tough exterior skin layer, suede is less durable but softer than standard ("full-grain") leather. Its softness, thinness, and pliability make it suitable for clothing and delicate uses; suede was originally used for women's gloves. Suede leather is also popular in upholstery, shoes, bags, and other accessories, and as a lining for other leather products. Due to its textured nature and open pores, suede may become dirty and quickly absorb liquids.
Fabrics are often manufactured with a brushed or napped finish to resemble suede leather. These products often provide a similar look and feel to suede, but have advantages such as increased liquid or stain resistance, and may appeal to consumers who prefer a non-animal product.
Suede are an English alternative rock band, formed in London in 1989 and currently consists of singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Richard Oakes, bass player Mat Osman, drummer Simon Gilbert and keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Neil Codling. Having split up in 2003, the Coming Up/Head Music line-up of the band reformed in 2010. The band's original guitarist Bernard Butler left the band in 1994.
In 1992, Suede were described as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted much attention from the British music press. The following year their debut album Suede, went to the top of the charts by becoming the fastest-selling debut album in almost ten years. It won the Mercury Music Prize and helped foster Britpop as a musical genre. However, the band's follow-up, Dog Man Star (1994), showed Suede distancing themselves from their Britpop peers. The recording sessions for Dog Man Star were fraught with difficulty, and ended with Butler departing the band after confrontations with the rest of the band. The album was completed without Butler, with the band touring the album with new recruit Richard Oakes. Although a commercial disappointment at the time, the album was met with a generally enthusiastic reception on release and has, over time been lauded with universal acclaim from critics.
Suede is an American pop, cabaret and jazz singer. She was born in Nyack, New York and went to high school in Severna Park, Maryland. She began playing music in high school, getting bar gigs before she even graduated. She lived in Baltimore for the majority of the 1980s and became a fixture at many local clubs. Suede's popularity steadily increased and she began playing sold-out shows in some of the US's most respected concert halls.
She is best known for successfully suing the British band Suede for the rights to the name, meaning that the band's subsequent albums were released in the US under the name "The London Suede".
In addition to being a vocalist, Suede plays many instruments; trumpet, piano, and guitar. She currently lives in Cape Cod.
Suede toured briefly with The Flirtations and was on their album, Three.