Nanna Lüders Jensen (born 23 July 1963) is a
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
songwriter and singer known by the
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Nanna. She has released several albums as a solo artist since her debut in 1982.
In addition to her work as a solo artist, Nanna has featured on a large number of other artist's works. During the 1980s and early 90s she worked with several groups, such as ''Poul Krebs & The Bookhouse Boys, Hobo-Ekspressen'', and ''Sweet Intentions''. As of 2020, she reportedly has over 100 credits for release by other artists. She has also appeared on several talk shows and in various documentaries.
Career
In 1982, Nanna made her debut with her song "Om lidt så lægger jeg dig ned;" she was 18 years old at the time. The single was followed by three albums produced by Kim Sagild: ''Nanna'' (1982), ''Små Blå breve'' (1984), and ''Shi-bu-mi'' (1985). In 1984, she was made famous by her hit single "Buster", the theme song for
Bille August
Bille August (born 9 November 1948) is a Danish director, screenwriter, and cinematographer of film and television. In a career spanning over four decades, he has been the recipient of numerous accolades, making him one of the most acclaimed co ...
's children's television series and movie ''
Busters verden''.
In 1985, Nanna won a competition organized by the Danish
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
to write a song in connection with the relief effort for
1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia
A widespread famine affected Ethiopia from 1983 to 1985. The worst famine to hit the country in a century, it affected 7.75 million people (out of Ethiopia's 38–40 million) and left approximately 300,000 to 1.2 million dead. 2.5 ...
, which also affected
Eritrea
Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...
. The competition was inspired by the song ''
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album '' We Are the World''. ...
''. Her song "Afrika" featured a number of major Danish artists from the mid-1980s and won a Grammy award. The song raised more than 3 million DKK for the Danish Red Cross, and is the most lucrative Danish relief song to date.
In 2000, she was given a grant by the
Danish Arts Foundation The Danish Arts Foundation ( Danish: Statens Kunstfond) is the principal Danish government funded arts foundation founded by a special Law on 27 May 1964.
Statens Kunstfond alongside the :da:Statens Kunstråd (English sometimes State Arts Council ...
. She released the resulting album, ''Giv dig hen,'' in 2005.
Personal life
After an absence from her public career, she published her autobiography ''Stjerne for altid'' in 2005. In her book, she opened up about her experiences with crippling stage fright, depression, and anxiety as a result of her rise to fame at such a young age. She has been open about her use of anti-depressants and has
self-medicated using
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternativel ...
.
Nanna was married to Niels Rasmusen, though they have since divorced. The couple have a daughter, Freja, who was born in 1999. Nanna dated musician and producer Hilmer Hassig in the early 2000s, though their relationship was not revealed until after he died in a car accident in 2008.
Discography
Albums
*''Nanna'' (1982)
*''Små, Blå Breve'' (1983)
*''Shi-bu-mi'' (1985)
*''Fannys hjerte'' (1988)
*''I Danmark er jeg født'' (1989)
*''Rocking Horse'' (1991)
*''Prinsesse Himmel-i-mund'' (1995)
*''Honey I'm home'' (1997)
*''Sangen Har Vinger'' (1997, with
Mikkel Nordsø)
*''Giv dig hen'' (2005)
*''Nødigt, men dog gerne'' (2011)
*''Nannas Juleguf (''2014, EP)
*''Cowboyland'' (2015)
Compilations
* ''Pletskud og vildskud'' (2005)
Singles
* "Om lidt så lægger jeg dig ned" (1982)
* "I Think I'll Kiss You For A Start" (1984)
* "Buster" (1984)
* "Helst Om Kærlighed" (1984)
* "Sammenhold, Du (1984)
* "Deja Vu" (1984)
* "Afrika" (1985)
* "Et Sted i Det Blå" (1987)
* "I Skovens Dybe Stille Ro" (1989)
* "Go Your Own Way" (1991)
* "Det er et Yndigt Land" (1993)
* "Danny" (1995)
* "Confidence" (1997)
Filmography
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jensen, Nanna Luders
1963 births
20th-century Danish women singers
Living people
Danish women singer-songwriters
Danish singer-songwriters
21st-century Danish women singers