Neneh Cherry
| Origin | London, England |
|---|---|
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | |
| Members | |
| Website | Template:URL |
Neneh Cherry (born Neneh Mariann Karlsson; 10 March 1964) is a Swedish-British singer-songwriter, rapper, occasional DJ, and broadcaster. One of the most distinctive and boundary-defying artists to emerge from the 1980s, Cherry rose to international fame with her 1989 debut album Raw Like Sushi and the global hit single Buffalo Stance. Over a career spanning more than four decades, she has moved freely between hip hop, post-punk, R&B, trip hop, and experimental jazz, maintaining both critical credibility and a devoted following.
Early life
[edit]Cherry was born in Stockholm, Sweden, the daughter of Monika "Moki" Karlsson (1943–2009), a Swedish painter and textile artist, and Ahmadu Jah (1936–2018), a musician born in Sierra Leone, West Africa, the son of a tribal chief, who had moved to Stockholm to study engineering. Her parents separated shortly after her birth.
Her mother later married the American jazz trumpeter Don Cherry, who became Neneh's stepfather and whose surname she took. Through Don Cherry, she has a stepsister, violinist Jan Cherry, and a stepbrother, jazz musician David Ornette Cherry. Her half-brother from her mother's marriage to Don Cherry is singer Eagle-Eye Cherry. Through her biological father, she is the half-sister of Swedish singer Titiyo and record producer Cherno Jah.
In 1970, her parents Moki and Don Cherry converted an old Swedish schoolhouse in rural Tågarp, Landskrona, into a family home and artistic commune.
Early career
[edit]Moving to London (1980–1981)
[edit]Cherry moved to the United Kingdom in her mid-teens, arriving in the midst of the punk era, a scene with which she immediately felt a strong connection. Her stepfather Don Cherry was touring with The Slits, and he brought the fifteen-year-old Neneh along; she soon befriended Slits members Tessa Pollitt, Viv Albertine, and Ari Up, and she and Ari lived together in a squat in Battersea.
In London, Cherry played with several bands in and around the post-punk underground, including the Cherries. She also DJ'd, playing early rap music on the reggae pirate station Dread Broadcasting Corporation in West London. She has said that she found her singing voice by singing along to Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex.
Rip Rig + Panic (1981–1983)
[edit]Cherry became a vocalist with the post-punk/jazz-funk ensemble Rip Rig + Panic, named after an album by Roland Kirk. The group also featured Gareth Saunders, Sean Oliver, Mark Springer, and drummer Bruce Smith of The Pop Group, to whom Cherry was briefly married (1983–84). Rip Rig + Panic recorded three albums — God (1981), I Am Cold (1982), and Attitude (1983) — before dissolving in 1983.
Cherry also performed with the dub collective New Age Steppers and subsequently with Float Up CP, another post-punk outfit.
Early solo work and The The (1982–1988)
[edit]Cherry launched her solo career in 1982 with the single Stop the War, a protest song responding to the Falklands War, released in collaboration with producer Jonny Dollar and Cameron McVey (also known as Beige).
In 1986, Cherry contributed lead vocals to Slow Train to Dawn, a track on The Thes critically acclaimed album Infected, produced and written by Matt Johnson. The collaboration paired her voice with Johnson's brooding sonic landscape to striking effect.
In 1987, Cherry appeared on Bomb the Bass's debut single Beat Dis, and in 1988 collaborated with Massive Attack (then still performing as the Wild Bunch) on Manchild, both early landmarks in what would become the Bristol sound and UK trip hop movement.
Solo career
[edit]Raw Like Sushi (1989)
[edit]Cherry's debut solo album, Raw Like Sushi, was released in 1989 on Circa Records. Co-produced by Cameron McVey and Tim Simenon of Bomb the Bass, as well as Massive Attack's 3D and Booga Bear, the album was a landmark fusion of hip hop, soul, and pop, years ahead of mainstream crossover trends.
The lead single, "Buffalo Stance", became an international hit, reaching number 3 in the UK and number 3 in the United States. The track's swagger and Cherry's distinctly personal vocal style made it one of the most distinctive singles of the decade. Cherry famously performed it live on Top of the Pops while visibly pregnant — an image that became iconic.
Other notable tracks include:
- "Manchild" — originally recorded with Massive Attack; re-recorded for the album
- "Kisses on the Wind"
- "Inna City Mamma"
Raw Like Sushi peaked at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and earned Cherry two BRIT Awards in 1990 for Best International Newcomer and Best International Female Artist. She also received a Grammy Award nomination.
Homebrew (1992)
[edit]Cherry's second album, Homebrew (1992), took a more personal and introspective direction. Among its notable tracks was "Buddy X", reportedly written about Lenny Kravitz, which reached number 4 on the Billboard Dance Club Charts. The track "Trout" featured additional vocals and co-writing from R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe and contained a sample from Steppenwolf.
Though less commercially dominant than its predecessor, Homebrew demonstrated Cherry's growth as a songwriter and her continuing interest in collaborative, genre-fluid music.
7 Seconds and Man (1994–1996)
[edit]In 1994, Cherry recorded "7 Seconds" with Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour. The song became one of the biggest international hits of the year, reaching number 1 in numerous countries and spending an extraordinary 16 weeks at the top of the French singles chart. It won the Best Song award at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 1994, and Cherry earned a second Grammy nomination for the track.
In 1995, Cherry joined Cher, Chrissie Hynde, and Eric Clapton on the Comic Relief charity single "Love Can Build a Bridge", which reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart.
Her third solo album, Man (1996), continued her exploration of hip hop and R&B, featuring production from Tricky and Howie B. The album was followed by the remix collection Neneh Chérie Remixes in 1997.
Hiatus and cirKus (1997–2011)
[edit]Following Man and its associated release cycle, Cherry stepped back from the music industry. In 2006, she formed the band cirKus alongside her husband Cameron McVey, their daughter Lolita Moon (known as Tyson), and musician Karmil. The band toured Europe and released two albums in France: Laylow (2006, with a remixed version in 2007) and Medicine (2009).
During the same period, Cherry made notable guest appearances including on Groove Armada's Lovebox (2002) and Gorillaz's celebrated album Demon Days (2005).
The Cherry Thing (2012)
[edit]In 2011, Cherry began collaborating with the Norwegian/Swedish experimental jazz trio The Thing, consisting of Mats Gustafsson (saxophones), Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (double bass), and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums). The resulting album, The Cherry Thing, was released in June 2012, recorded at Harder Sound Studios in London and Atlantis Studios in Stockholm. The album was widely praised for its daring combination of avant-garde jazz and Cherry's vocal approach.
Blank Project (2014)
[edit]Cherry returned with her fourth solo studio album, Blank Project, in 2014, released on the Smalltown Supersound label. Co-written by Cherry and McVey with contributions from Paul Simm, the album was deeply influenced by the death of her mother, Moki Karlsson, in 2009. Stark, minimal, and emotionally raw, it was among the most critically acclaimed albums of her career, drawing comparisons to artists such as PJ Harvey and reestablishing Cherry as a major voice in contemporary music.
Later work
[edit]Cherry has continued to perform and record into the 2020s. She was among the many guest vocalists on We Will Always Love You (2020) by The Avalanches. She has remained an active collaborator across genres and generations, reflecting a career-long commitment to artistic exploration over commercial consistency.
Personal life
[edit]Cherry was briefly married to drummer Bruce Smith of The Pop Group (1983–84). She has been married to record producer and musician Cameron McVey since 1990. Together they have two children: Naima (from Cherry's earlier relationship) and Tyson (known professionally as Tyson). Cherry is also the mother of fashion designer and singer Mabel, who has had a successful pop career in the UK.
Cherry speaks both English and Swedish fluently and has maintained strong ties to Sweden throughout her life. She participated in the Swedish-language audio book project Ällp in 2013, recording in the Scanian dialect.
In 2016, she starred in Stockholm, My Love, a drama and musical film set in Stockholm.
Musical style and influence
[edit]Cherry has never fitted neatly into a single category. Her career has encompassed post-punk, hip hop, R&B, trip hop, dance-pop, and free jazz, and she approaches each with the same spirit of improvisation and authenticity. She has described herself not as a rapper but as a singer that does a bit of rapping, and her vocal style reflects this — conversational, rhythmic, emotionally direct, and stylistically hybrid.
Her influence on subsequent female artists who blend rap with singing and challenge genre categories — from M.I.A. to FKA Twigs — has been widely noted by critics. Her appearance on Top of the Pops while heavily pregnant in 1989 is frequently cited as a landmark moment in the cultural visibility of pregnant women in popular performance.
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]| Year | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Raw Like Sushi | Circa / Virgin | UK #2; "Buffalo Stance" |
| 1992 | Homebrew | Circa / Virgin | "Buddy X", "Trout" ft. Michael Stipe |
| 1996 | Man | Hut / Virgin | Produced with Tricky and Howie B |
| 2014 | Blank Project | Smalltown Supersound | BRIT Award-nominated; critically acclaimed |
Collaborative albums
[edit]| Year | Title | Partner(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Cherry Thing | The Thing |
cirKus albums
[edit]| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Laylow |
| 2009 | Medicine |
Selected singles
[edit]| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Buffalo Stance" | UK #3, US #3 |
| 1989 | "Manchild" | UK #4 |
| 1992 | "Buddy X" | US Dance #4 |
| 1994 | "7 Seconds" (with Youssou N'Dour) | #1 in multiple countries; MTV EMA Best Song |
| 1995 | "Love Can Build a Bridge" (with Cher, Chrissie Hynde, Eric Clapton) | UK #1; Comic Relief |
Awards and recognition
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | BRIT Awards | Best International Newcomer | Template:Won |
| 1990 | BRIT Awards | Best International Female Artist | Template:Won |
| 1990 | Grammy Awards | Best New Artist | Template:Nominated |
| 1994 | MTV Europe Music Awards | Best Song ("7 Seconds") | Template:Won |
| 1995 | Grammy Awards | Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals ("7 Seconds") | Template:Nominated |
See also
[edit]- Don Cherry (jazz musician) — stepfather
- Eagle-Eye Cherry — half-brother
- Mabel (singer) — daughter
- Titiyo — half-sister
- Rip Rig + Panic
- The The — Cherry appeared on Infected (1986)
- Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra — Cherry performed with Holland's orchestra
- Bomb the Bass
- Massive Attack