Neneh Cherry
Neneh Cherry is a Swedish singer, rapper and songwriter whose music moves between pop, hip-hop and jazz, and the author of the memoir A Thousand Threads.
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Neneh’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus her backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Overview
- Born
- 10 March 1964, Stockholm, Sweden
- Work
- Singer, rapper, songwriter, producer and memoirist
- Early band
- Rip Rig + Panic, in London’s post-punk scene
- Breakout
- Buffalo Stance, 1988
- Memoir
- A Thousand Threads, 2024
Mini bio
An artistic childhood.
Born in Stockholm, Neneh grew up around her mother Moki’s art and her stepfather Don Cherry’s music. Childhood moved between Sweden and New York. That mix of places, people and sounds helped shape a musician comfortable crossing genres.
Finding her voice.
After moving to London, she helped form Rip Rig + Panic in the post-punk scene. The band also connected her with Andi Oliver, who became a lifelong friend and collaborator. In 1988, Buffalo Stance brought her to a worldwide audience; her debut solo album Raw Like Sushi followed in 1989.
Songs that travel.
Her duet 7 Seconds with Youssou N’Dour became another defining recording. Later work includes Blank Project, made with RocketNumberNine and producer Four Tet, and The Versions, which invited artists including Robyn and Sia to reinterpret her catalogue. Her music keeps room for rap, pop, electronics and jazz.
Putting the story on paper.
Her 2024 memoir A Thousand Threads follows the relationships and family history behind the music. To research it, she spoke with living elders and drew on photographs, journals and family objects, with help from her daughter Naima’s archive. The book reached the 2025 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction shortlist.
Creditschronological, newest first
Music
- 2025LullabyVocalist with Together for Palestine
- 2025New DawnGuest vocalist on Marshall Allen’s title track
- 2022The VersionsCurator and songwriter behind the reworked catalogue
- 19947 SecondsSinger with Youssou N’Dour
- 1989Raw Like SushiSolo recording artist
Books
- 2024A Thousand ThreadsAuthor
Television
- 2007Neneh and Andi Dish It UpCo-presenter with Andi Oliver
Awards
Quotes
I am who I am because of so many others.Neneh Cherry, Women’s Prize interview
Reflecting on writing her memoir and recognising the people whose lives connect with her own.
Trivia
- She performed Buffalo Stance on Top of the Pops in December 1988 while seven months pregnant.
- She and Andi Oliver became friends in 1981 through Rip Rig + Panic and later hosted a BBC Two cookery series together.
- Her daughter Naima’s family archive helped her research A Thousand Threads.
- She named Nikki Giovanni as the female non-fiction author who had most influenced her work.
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