Neneh Cherry
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Neneh Mariann Karlsson (born 10 March 1964), better known as Neneh Cherry, is a Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper, occasional DJ and broadcaster. Her musical career started in London in the early 1980s, where she performed in a number of punk and
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-r ...
bands in her youth, including
the Slits The Slits were a punk and post-punk band based in London, formed there in 1976 by members of the groups the Flowers of Romance and the Castrators. The group's early line-up consisted of Ari Up (Ariane Forster) and Palmolive (a.k.a. Paloma ...
and Rip Rig + Panic. Cherry has released five studio albums under her own name. Her first, ''
Raw Like Sushi ''Raw Like Sushi'' is the debut studio album by Swedish musician Neneh Cherry, released 5 June 1989 by Virgin Records. The album includes the commercially successful single "Buffalo Stance". Background An early version of "Buffalo Stance" app ...
'', was released in 1989 and peaked at number three on the UK Album Chart, thanks in large part to the worldwide hit single "
Buffalo Stance "Buffalo Stance" is a song by Swedish singer Neneh Cherry, released from her debut album, ''Raw Like Sushi'' (1989), in November 1988. The song peaked at 3 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and it reached No. 1 in h ...
". Her second studio album was 1992's '' Homebrew''. Four years later she released '' Man'', with her next studio album, ''
Blank Project ''Blank Project'' is the fourth studio album by Neneh Cherry, released by Smalltown Supersound on 25 February 2014. The record is Cherry's first album of solo music in 18 years. It was recorded and mixed over a 5-day period in Woodstock, NY. It was ...
,'' coming in 2014. Her most recent album, ''
Broken Politics ''Broken Politics'' is the fifth solo album by singer Neneh Cherry, and her second to be produced by Four Tet. The album was released on 19 October 2018, and has been called "quieter and more reflective" than its predecessor '' Blank Project''. Th ...
'', was released in 2018. In addition to releasing these studio albums, she formed the band
cirKus CirKus are a trip hop band formed by Burt Ford (Cameron McVey), Karmil (aka Matt Kent), Lolita Moon and Neneh Cherry. History DJ and producer Karmil was recruited by Burt Ford (Neneh's husband Cameron McVey) as an assistant recording engine ...
in 2006 and has collaborated with the Thing, releasing an album entitled '' The Cherry Thing'' in 2012. Cherry has won two Brit Awards and an
MTV Europe Music Award The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
(with
Youssou N'Dour Youssou N'Dour (, wo, Yuusu Nduur; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine describe ...
). She has also been nominated for a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
.


Early life and family

Cherry was born as Neneh Mariann Karlsson in
Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...
, Sweden, the daughter of Monika "Moki" Karlsson (1943–2009), a Swedish painter and textile artist, and the musician Ahmadu Jah (1936–2018). Jah was born in
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...
, West Africa, the son of a
tribal chief A tribal chief or chieftain is the leader of a tribe, tribal society or chiefdom. Tribe The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of western Afroeurasia. Tribal societies are sometimes categori ...
, and went to Stockholm to study engineering at university. Her paternal grandmother was called Neneh, and her maternal grandmother was called Mariann, a name she has never been referred to as. Cherry's parents separated early and her mother married the American
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
musician Don Cherry, who helped raise Cherry since birth. Cherry took her stepfather's surname. From her mother's side, Cherry also has a half-brother, musician Eagle-Eye Cherry. From stepfather Don Cherry's side, she has a stepsister, violinist Jan Cherry, and a stepbrother, jazz musician David Ornette Cherry. Through her father Ahmadu Jah's marriage to Maylen Jah (née Bergström), Cherry is the half-sister of singer
Titiyo Titiyo Yambalu Felicia Jah (born 23 July 1967) is a Swedish singer and songwriter who has won four Grammis. Biography Early life Titiyo was born in Stockholm, Sweden, to Ahmadu Jah, a Sierra Leonean drummer, and Maylen Bergström. She is the ha ...
and record producer Cherno Jah. In 1970, Cherry's parents, Moki and Don Cherry, bought and converted an old Swedish schoolhouse in rural Tågarp in Hässleholm. In the early 1970s, the family moved to the United States, when Don Cherry taught at
Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...
. In 1977 the family bought a loft in New York City in the same building as
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...
members Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth whom they befriended. Cherry dropped out of school at age 14 and moved to London.


Music career


Early career

Cherry moved to the United Kingdom when she was 15, in the midst of the punk era, and she remembers finding "her people" there. Cherry had met Tessa Pollitt,
Viv Albertine Viviane Katrina Louise Albertine (born 1 December 1954) is an Australian-born British musician, singer, songwriter and writer. She is best known as the guitarist for the punk band the Slits from 1977 until 1982, with whom she recorded two studio ...
and Ari Up from
the Slits The Slits were a punk and post-punk band based in London, formed there in 1976 by members of the groups the Flowers of Romance and the Castrators. The group's early line-up consisted of Ari Up (Ariane Forster) and Palmolive (a.k.a. Paloma ...
earlier as her stepfather, Don Cherry, was touring with them and took the 15-year-old Neneh along. She and Ari lived in a squat in Battersea. She felt at home, after ending up there because The Slits invited Don Cherry to go on tour with them with
Prince Hammer Beris Simpson, better known as Prince Hammer, is a Jamaican reggae deejay, singer, and record producer. Biography Simpson was born at the Jubilee Hospital in Kingston and grew up in a Christian family in Kingston.Peter I (2005)Prince Hammer: ...
and Creation Rebel. In London, Cherry joined the punk rock band The Cherries. She moved through several bands, including
the Slits The Slits were a punk and post-punk band based in London, formed there in 1976 by members of the groups the Flowers of Romance and the Castrators. The group's early line-up consisted of Ari Up (Ariane Forster) and Palmolive (a.k.a. Paloma ...
,
New Age Steppers New Age Steppers were a dub collective from the United Kingdom, formed by producer Adrian Sherwood and featuring members of various prominent 1970s UK post-punk groups, including Ari Up and Viv Albertine of the Slits, Mark Stewart and Bruce Smi ...
, Rip Rig + Panic, and Float Up CP. She also DJ'd, playing early rap music on the reggae pirate
Dread Broadcasting Corporation Dread Broadcasting Corporation, also known as DBC, was a 1980s West London pirate radio station which is credited as Britain's first black music pirate radio station. History It broadcast from the Neasden and Ladbroke Grove areas, and was fou ...
. Cherry has stated that she found her voice singing along with Poly Styrene from X-Ray Spex. She grew up in a musical family; she remembers singing with her father at the piano.


Albums


''Raw Like Sushi''

Cherry began a solo career in 1982 with "Stop the War", a protest song about the
Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial ...
. She worked with Jonny Dollar, The The and
Cameron McVey Cameron Andrew McVey (born 11 March 1957) is an English singer, songwriter and music producer. He worked with the bands Massive Attack, Portishead, All Saints, Sugababes/Mutya Keisha Siobhan and his wife Neneh Cherry. He is the father of ...
(aka Booga Bear), who co-wrote most of her 1989 debut album ''Raw Like Sushi'', and whom she later married. She was intimately involved in the
Bristol Urban Culture The Bristol underground scene was a cultural movement in Bristol beginning in the early 1980s. The scene was born out of a lack of mainstream clubs catering for the emergence of hip hop music, with street and underground parties a mainstay. Cre ...
scene, working as an arranger on Massive Attack's '' Blue Lines'' album, through which she met Dollar. Both
Robert Del Naja Robert Del Naja (; born 21 January 1965), also known as 3D, is a British artist, musician, singer and songwriter. He emerged as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective the Wild Bunch, and later as a founding member and sole con ...
and Andrew Vowles of Massive Attack contributed to ''Raw Like Sushi''. The single "
Buffalo Stance "Buffalo Stance" is a song by Swedish singer Neneh Cherry, released from her debut album, ''Raw Like Sushi'' (1989), in November 1988. The song peaked at 3 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and it reached No. 1 in h ...
" eventually peaked at number 3 in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and number 1 on the US Dance chart. More singles released between 1988 and 1990 included "Manchild", " Kisses on the Wind", "Heart", and "Inna City Mama". She also found success with " I've Got You Under My Skin", a reworking of the Cole Porter song, which appeared on the '' Red Hot + Blue'' AIDS fundraising album. The single reached number 25 in the UK. Cherry was nominated for a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
in 1990 in the Best New Artist category (but lost to Milli Vanilli who eventually had their award revoked). She won a Brit Award in 1990 for ''Raw Like Sushi''. Cherry caused a press furore when she performed "Buffalo Stance" on ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' while pregnant (with her second child, Tyson).


''Homebrew''

Cherry's second album was 1992's ''Homebrew''. ''Homebrew'' was not as commercially successful as its predecessor. The album had some success on various ''Billboard'' charts with songs " Buddy X" and "Trout". "Buddy X" reached number 4 on the '' Billboard'' Dance Club Music Charts where it spent a total of 11 weeks. The track also spent some time on ''Billboard''′s Pop Songs Charts as well as the Hot 100 Charts, where it peaked at number 22 during its 8-week run and peaked at number 43 in its 12-week run, respectively. The music video for "Buddy X" earned Neneh Cherry an
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
VMA nomination at the ceremony in 1993 for the
Best Female Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the Y ...
category, alongside
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
, Annie Lennox, and k.d. lang, with lang winning the moonman. "Trout" features additional vocals by R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe who helped to co-write the track along with Cherry, McVey, and Jonathan Sharp and contains samples of a guitar riff from Steppenwolf as well as drums by John Bonham. With airplay on college radio and increased popularity, "Trout" spent a total of 14 weeks on ''Billboard''′s Alternative Music Charts where it reached number 2. ''Homebrew'' also included the work of
Geoff Barrow Geoffrey Paul Barrow (born 9 December 1971) is an English music producer, composer, and DJ. He is a member of the bands Portishead, Beak and supergroup Quakers, and has scored several films. Portishead—formed in 1991—was named after the ...
(on "Somedays"), who later became part of Portishead. Additional recognition was attributed to remixes of track "Buddy X". First was the 1993 remix by The Notorious BIG, which is considered by some to be "one of the great Biggie rarities in the world." Cherry stated that she and McVey picked up Biggie for the studio where they remained for the session. The song was completed in one take. "Buddy X" found success yet again in the 1999 UK garage remix by Dreem Teem. "Move with Me" was co-written by Cherry, McVey and Lenny Kravitz.


''Man''

1996's ''Man'' is a solo record produced by McVey, Jonny Dollar and Christian Falk. The lead track is " Woman", her take on James Brown's 1966 track " It's a Man's Man's Man's World." It featured the worldwide hit single, " 7 Seconds", featuring
Youssou N'Dour Youssou N'Dour (, wo, Yuusu Nduur; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine describe ...
; and "Trouble Man" a cover of a Marvin Gaye track. Another track, "Together Now", featured Tricky. In France, "7 Seconds" made number one for a record 16 weeks in 1994. The song earned Cherry her second Grammy nomination and an
MTV Europe Music Award The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
for Best Song. '' Remixes'', a French remix album of ''Man'' songs, was released in 1997.


''Blank Project''

''Blank Project'' was written by Cherry and her husband McVey.
Paul Simm Paul Simm is an English musician, composer and record producer, known for his work with Amy Winehouse, the Sugababes and Neneh Cherry. Biography Paul Simm, discovered the piano aged five and mostly self-taught, by eleven was performing regular g ...
co-wrote six tracks on the record. The record was deeply influenced by the death of her mother. To promote the album, she toured Europe in February and March 2014. In January 2015, Cherry performed as a solo artist in New York City. Cherry is very connected to New York, as she has visited or lived there off and on since 1966.


''Broken Politics''

''Broken Politics'', her second album to be produced by
Four Tet Kieran Hebden (born September 1977), known as Four Tet, is an English electronic musician. He came to prominence as a member of the post-rock band Fridge before establishing himself as a solo artist with charting UK albums such as '' Rounds'' ( ...
, was released on 19 October 2018, and has been called "quieter and more reflective" than ''Blank Project'' by Cherry. The lead single, "Kong", was released earlier in August. Writing in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'', Laura Snapes labeled the album "revelatory" and gave it a 5-star review. To support the album, Cherry toured across North America, Australia and Europe in late 2018 and early 2019.


''The Versions''

On June 10, 2022, Cherry released her next studio album, '' The Versions''. The album features reworked and reimagined versions of her previous singles. It features vocals from Robyn and Sia.


Bands/collaborations

The Cherry Bear Collective, Cherry's former company with McVey, is now called Nomad Productions and is based in west London.


CirKus

In 2006, Cherry formed a new band,
cirKus CirKus are a trip hop band formed by Burt Ford (Cameron McVey), Karmil (aka Matt Kent), Lolita Moon and Neneh Cherry. History DJ and producer Karmil was recruited by Burt Ford (Neneh's husband Cameron McVey) as an assistant recording engine ...
, with Cameron McVey, Lolita Moon (Neneh and Cameron's daughter) and Karmil. CirKus toured Europe, with a single North American performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival in July 2006 plus a few dates in Brazil in 2008. The band's first album, ''
Laylow Jeremy Larroux (born 1993), better known as Laylow is a French rapper from Toulouse. In 2018, Laylow released the EPs ''.RAW'' and ''RAW-Z''. His debut album, ''Trinity'', featuring collaborations with Lomepal, S.Pri Noir, Jok'Air, Wit. and ...
'', was released in France in 2006. A remixed/recorded version was released in 2007. A second CirKus album, ''Medicine'', was released in France in March 2009.


''The Cherry Thing''

In March 2011, Cherry collaborated with the experimental jazz group The Thing, to release the record '' The Cherry Thing''. The Thing is a Norwegian/Swedish
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
trio, consisting of Mats Gustafsson (saxophones), Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (double bass), and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums). The Thing took their name from the third track on stepfather Don Cherry's album '' Where Is Brooklyn?''. The album ''The Cherry Thing'' was released in June 2012 and was recorded at Harder Sound Studios in London, England and Atlantis Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. During a 1 June 2012 interview with
Kirsty Lang Kirsty Lang (born July 1962) is a British journalist and broadcaster who works for BBC Radio and Television. Earlier in her career, she was on the staff of ''The Sunday Times'' and ''Channel 4 News'', working as a presenter and reporter. Lang w ...
, broadcast as part of the
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's ...
's '' Front Row'' daily podcast, Cherry discussed the jazz-inspired album, saying that The Thing were inspired by Cherry's stepfather's work, but that the band makes this inspiration their own. "I think that we're taking it on, to another place. I think that's really important," Cherry said. One of the songs from the album, "Golden Heart", was written by Don Cherry; Christer Bothén, a musician who played with Don Cherry, was invited to play on the album, and brought the song to their attention. The album includes tracks originally performed by an eclectic mix of artists, including hip-hop artist MF Doom,
Martina Topley-Bird Martina Gillian Topley-Bird (''née'' Topley; born 7 May 1975) is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who first gained fame as the featured female vocalist on trip hop pioneer Tricky's debut album, '' Maxinquaye'' (1995). ...
Suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...
, and
The Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Da ...
'. Most of the tracks were recorded together live.


Other music projects

Although Cherry has released only a handful of albums, she has frequently collaborated with other artists. In 2005, she collaborated with Gorillaz on the track " Kids with Guns" from the album '' Demon Days''.


RocketNumberNine

In 2013, Cherry collaborated with London duo RocketNumberNine (named after a Sun Ra track), aka the Page Brothers – Ben and Tom Page – to record an album called ''MeYouWeYou''. She also joined them to perform the entire album live at the
Manchester International Festival The Manchester International Festival is a biennial international arts festival, with a specific focus on original new work, held in the English city of Manchester and run by Factory International. The festival is a biennial event, first tak ...
in July 2013. The record is an album of 10 tracks that Cherry wrote with McVey, which they took with only vocals to RocketNumberNine, who then did their musical interpretation to all the tracks. They recorded the album live in Woodstock, New York, with Vortex. The 10 tracks were recorded in five days. Cherry calls it fearless and hardcore.


Musical style

Cherry said she has never really thought of herself as a rapper. She sees herself as a "singer that does a bit of rapping." Breaking into the U.S. music industry was not a positive experience for Cherry. She said that while "Buffalo Stance" gave her a mainstream crossover moment in the U.S. she found the American music industry stiflingly attached to labels and genre identities.


Other work

In the early 1980s, Cherry was a DJ on DBC radio,
Dread Broadcasting Corporation Dread Broadcasting Corporation, also known as DBC, was a 1980s West London pirate radio station which is credited as Britain's first black music pirate radio station. History It broadcast from the Neasden and Ladbroke Grove areas, and was fou ...
, a pirate radio station. Cherry appeared in a non-singing capacity in Big Audio Dynamite's videos for "Medicine Show" (1985), and "C'mon Every Beatbox" (1986), dancing onstage with others during the band's performance. In the late 1980s, she helped bankroll the band Massive Attack In early 2004, Cherry presented ''Neneh Cherry's World of Music'', a six-part series broadcast on
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
. In April 2007, she presented a six-part cookery show ''Neneh and Andi – Dish It Up'' with her friend
Andrea Oliver Andrea "Andi" Oliver (born 1964) is a British chef, television and radio broadcaster, and former singer. She is best known for her appearances on the BBC cooking show the ''Great British Menu''. Early career Oliver is a former member of the b ...
for
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...
. Neneh and Andi appeared on Gordon Ramsay's '' The F-Word'' as part of the amateur brigade. In November 2013, Cherry contributed to the art project/audio book ''Ällp'' written by Lars Yngve. Singer Peps Persson contributed music, while Cherry, Björn Ranelid and a few other celebrities, all with their roots in Sweden's most southern county
Skåne Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skån ...
, recorded the book in Skånska/ Scanian dialect (not "standard Swedish", aka Rikssvenska) ''Cherry'', a short documentary about Neneh Cherry, was released by ''
The Face The face is a part of the body, the front of the head. Face may also refer to: Film * ''The Magician'' (1958 film) or ''The Face'' * ''The Face'' (1996 film), an American television film * ''Face'' (1997 film), a British crime drama by Antonia ...
'' magazine on YouTube on 23 March 2022.


Personal life

In 1983, Cherry married drummer Bruce Smith and had a daughter, Naima. They divorced in 1984. Naima is a London photographer, who had a son named Louis Clyde Flynn Love (who goes by Flynn) in 2004. In 1986, Cherry met producer and Morgan-McVey member Cameron "Booga Bear" McVey at Heathrow Airport. Cherry and McVey were en route to Japan as fashion models as part of London designer Ray Petri's Buffalo Posse. Cherry proposed, and the couple married in 1990. Cherry and McVey have two daughters: singers Tyson, born in 1989 (also known as Lolita Moon), and Mabel McVey, born in 1996. The former (who releases singles with her name stylised as TYSON) was the daughter whom Cherry was pregnant with on ''Top of the Pops'' in 1988 and is featured in the " Manchild" video, while the latter is the singer who has collaborated on singles with Clean Bandit, Tiësto and Joel Corry. Cherry and Cameron McVey have a collaborative work relationship: McVey produced and co-wrote ''
Raw Like Sushi ''Raw Like Sushi'' is the debut studio album by Swedish musician Neneh Cherry, released 5 June 1989 by Virgin Records. The album includes the commercially successful single "Buffalo Stance". Background An early version of "Buffalo Stance" app ...
''. Together they have supported a variety of British acts and they were in the group
cirKus CirKus are a trip hop band formed by Burt Ford (Cameron McVey), Karmil (aka Matt Kent), Lolita Moon and Neneh Cherry. History DJ and producer Karmil was recruited by Burt Ford (Neneh's husband Cameron McVey) as an assistant recording engine ...
together, with Cameron McVey known as Burt Ford and Tyson as Lolita Moon during this time. Cherry has a stepson,
Marlon Roudette Marlon Roudette is a British singer, songwriter and producer. He is the former front man for the duo Mattafix, who had their first number 1, " Big City Life", in 2006. After the group split, Roudette embarked on a solo career with two number o ...
(former frontman of
Mattafix Mattafix were an English electronic duo, consisting of vocalist Marlon Roudette and producer and keyboardist Preetesh Hirji. Their sound was a fusion of hip hop, R&B, reggae, dancehall, blues, jazz, soul and world. Known for their 2005 hit ...
), via McVey's prior relationship with Vonnie Roudette. The Cherry-McVeys have lived throughout Europe. In 1993, they moved near
Málaga Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most po ...
,
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...
, and lived there until 1999. In 1995, they briefly lived in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. They bought a home in the Fort Greene section of
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. However, soon after moving, the couple was held up at gunpoint and robbed by a teenage hoodlum. The entire family packed up again and headed back to Berkley Grove in London's Primrose Hill. They next returned to Cherry's childhood home in Hässleholm, Sweden, living in the same schoolhouse turned home (featured in '' Homebrew'' album artwork) in which Cherry was raised as a child. The family has a country house near
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...
and Wolverhampton, apartments in London and
Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...
, plus the family home in the old schoolhouse in
Skåne County Skåne County ( sv, Skåne län, link=no ), sometimes referred to as Scania County in English, is the most southern county, or , of Sweden, basically corresponding to the traditional province Scania. It borders the counties of Halland, Krono ...
that she and her half-brother inherited when their mother died in 2009. As of 2014, Cherry says she commutes between London and Stockholm.


Style

Since the late 1980s, Cherry has frequently worked with the stylist and jewelry designer
Judy Blame Judy Blame (12 February 1960 – 19 February 2018) was a British fashion stylist, accessories designer and punk iconoclast. Early life Judy Blame was born Christopher Barnes in 1960 in Leatherhead, Surrey, and grew up in Spain and Devon. He ran ...
. On her street style, Cherry cites
LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...
as an influence, as well as the photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino,
Judy Blame Judy Blame (12 February 1960 – 19 February 2018) was a British fashion stylist, accessories designer and punk iconoclast. Early life Judy Blame was born Christopher Barnes in 1960 in Leatherhead, Surrey, and grew up in Spain and Devon. He ran ...
, and designer
Ray Petri Ray Petri (16 September 1948–August 1989) was a fashion stylist and creator of the fashion house, Buffalo. Born Ray Petrie in Dundee, Scotland, Petri moved to Brisbane, Australia with his family at age 15. In 1969, feeling Australia was ...
.


Discography

* ''
Raw Like Sushi ''Raw Like Sushi'' is the debut studio album by Swedish musician Neneh Cherry, released 5 June 1989 by Virgin Records. The album includes the commercially successful single "Buffalo Stance". Background An early version of "Buffalo Stance" app ...
'' (1989) * '' Homebrew'' (1992) * '' Man'' (1996) * ''
Blank Project ''Blank Project'' is the fourth studio album by Neneh Cherry, released by Smalltown Supersound on 25 February 2014. The record is Cherry's first album of solo music in 18 years. It was recorded and mixed over a 5-day period in Woodstock, NY. It was ...
'' (2014) * ''
Broken Politics ''Broken Politics'' is the fifth solo album by singer Neneh Cherry, and her second to be produced by Four Tet. The album was released on 19 October 2018, and has been called "quieter and more reflective" than its predecessor '' Blank Project''. Th ...
'' (2018) * '' The Versions'' (2022)


Awards


Brit Awards

, - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3", 1990 , rowspan="2" , Herself , Best International Breakthrough , rowspan="2" , - , Best International Solo Artist , - , " Manchild" , Best Video , rowspan="3" , - , style="text-align:left;", 1991 , rowspan="2" , Herself , rowspan="2" , Best International Female , - , style="text-align:left;", 1997


Danish Music Awards

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1995 , " 7 Seconds" , Best International Single ,


Grammy Awards

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1990 , Herself , Best New Artist ,


Grammis

, - , 1990 , rowspan=2, Herself , Best Female Pop/Rock Artist , , - , 1993 , Best Modern Dance , , - , style="text-align:left;", 2013 , '' The Cherry Thing'' , Jazz Recording of the Year , , - , 2019 , ''
Broken Politics ''Broken Politics'' is the fifth solo album by singer Neneh Cherry, and her second to be produced by Four Tet. The album was released on 19 October 2018, and has been called "quieter and more reflective" than its predecessor '' Blank Project''. Th ...
'' , Best Electronic/Dance ,


Ivor Novello Awards

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1990 , "
Buffalo Stance "Buffalo Stance" is a song by Swedish singer Neneh Cherry, released from her debut album, ''Raw Like Sushi'' (1989), in November 1988. The song peaked at 3 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and it reached No. 1 in h ...
" , International Hit of the Year , , - , 1995 , " 7 Seconds" , International Hit of the Year ,


MTV Europe Music Awards

, - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2",
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...
, " 7 Seconds" , Best Song , , - , rowspan="2", Herself , rowspan="2", Best Female , , - , 1996 ,


MTV Video Music Awards

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1989 , "
Buffalo Stance "Buffalo Stance" is a song by Swedish singer Neneh Cherry, released from her debut album, ''Raw Like Sushi'' (1989), in November 1988. The song peaked at 3 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and it reached No. 1 in h ...
" , Best New Artist , , - , rowspan="2" , 1991 , rowspan="2" , " I've Got You Under My Skin" , Best Special Effects , , - , rowspan="2" , Best Female Video , , - , style="text-align:left;", 1993 , " Buddy X" ,


Music & Media Year-End Awards

!Ref. , - , 1989 , ''
Raw Like Sushi ''Raw Like Sushi'' is the debut studio album by Swedish musician Neneh Cherry, released 5 June 1989 by Virgin Records. The album includes the commercially successful single "Buffalo Stance". Background An early version of "Buffalo Stance" app ...
'' , Debut Album of the Year , ,


NME Awards

!Ref. , - , NME Awards 2022, 2022 , Herself , Icon Award , ,


Nordic Music Prize

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2014 , ''
Blank Project ''Blank Project'' is the fourth studio album by Neneh Cherry, released by Smalltown Supersound on 25 February 2014. The record is Cherry's first album of solo music in 18 years. It was recorded and mixed over a 5-day period in Woodstock, NY. It was ...
'' , Album of the Year ,


Rober Awards Music poll

, - , 2012 , "Dream Baby Dream" (with The Thing) , Best Cover Version , , - , 2014 , Herself , Best R&B ,


Smash Hits Poll Winners Party

, - , 1989 , Herself , Most Promising New Solo Artist ,


UK Video Music Awards

, - , rowspan="2", 2018 , rowspan="2", "Kong" , Best Styling in a Video , , - , Best Color Grading in a Video ,


See also

* Swedish hip hop * List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cherry, Neneh 1964 births Living people Singers from Stockholm Swedish people of Sierra Leonean descent English-language singers from Sweden Swedish DJs Swedish women musicians Swedish hip hop musicians Swedish women rappers Swedish singer-songwriters Brit Award winners MTV Europe Music Award winners Trip hop musicians Virgin Records artists Swedish emigrants to the United Kingdom Rip Rig + Panic members 20th-century Swedish women singers 21st-century Swedish women singers Electronic dance music DJs People from Fort Greene, Brooklyn Swedish women in electronic music 20th-century women rappers 21st-century women rappers Hip hop singers Women hip hop musicians Women hip hop singers Smalltown Supersound artists