Nena facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nena
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Nena performing in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gabriele Susanne Kerner |
| Born | 24 March 1960 Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany |
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| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | CBS, Disney |
| Associated acts | Carlo Karges, Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, Jürgen Dehmel, Rolf Brendel, Peter Heppner, Kim Wilde |
Gabriele Susanne Kerner (born 24 March 1960), known by her stage name Nena, is a famous German singer. She became a worldwide star in 1983 with her band, also called Nena. Their song "99 Luftballons" was a huge hit.
The band later recorded an English version called "99 Red Balloons." After the band broke up, Nena started a successful solo career. She has sold over 25 million records. This makes her one of the most successful German pop singers ever.
Contents
Early Life
Gabriele Susanne Kerner was born in Hagen, West Germany. She grew up in the nearby town of Breckerfeld. When she was a toddler, her family went on vacation to Mallorca, Spain. There, she got the nickname "Nena," which is Spanish for "little girl."
In 1977, she left high school and trained to be a goldsmith for three years.
Music Career
How It Started
Nena's music career began in 1979. A guitarist named Rainer Kitzmann saw her dancing and asked her to be the lead singer for his new band, The Stripes. The band had a small hit but didn't become famous.
The record company saw Nena's talent. They offered her a deal if she moved to Berlin and sang in German. In 1982, Nena and her boyfriend at the time, Rolf Brendel, moved to West Berlin. There, they formed the band Nena with three other musicians.
Their first single, "Nur geträumt" ("Only Dreamed"), was an instant hit in Germany. This happened after they performed on the TV show Musikladen.
Worldwide Success
In 1983, the band released their first album, Nena. It included the single "99 Luftballons". The song became a number one hit in West Germany and other European countries.
The next year, it became a major hit around the world. The English version, "99 Red Balloons," reached number one in the UK. The original German version even made it to number two in the United States. This was very rare for a German-language song.
While touring the UK in 1984, Nena made headlines for having unshaved armpits. This was common in Europe at the time but unusual in English-speaking countries. Nena was surprised by all the attention. She wrote in her 2005 book, "I simply had no idea!"
The band Nena had more hits in Europe, like "Irgendwie, irgendwo, irgendwann". They broke up in 1987, and Nena began her solo career.
Solo Career and Comeback
Nena's first solo album, Wunder gescheh'n ("Miracles Happen"), came out in 1989. The album was released just four days before the Berlin Wall fell. She performed the title song at a concert celebrating the event, and the song became linked with that historic moment.
During the 1990s, her music was less successful. But in 2002, she made a huge comeback. She released the album Nena feat. Nena, which had new versions of her old hits.
A new version of "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime" was a duet with British singer Kim Wilde. It was a big hit across Europe. This success helped her become a major star again. In 2005, her new song "Liebe ist" ("Love Is") went to number one in Germany.
Recent Music
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Since 2009, Nena has released music on her own record label. She has continued to release successful albums like Made in Germany (2009) and Oldschool (2015).
She has also worked with many other artists. In 2011, she sang on a track with American actor and musician Kevin Costner. In 2019, she was the singer on the title track of the album Morgenstund by the German band Schiller.
Her latest studio album, Licht ("Light"), was released in 2020. It was another top 10 album for her in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
Live Shows
Nena has toured almost every year since 1997. She performs dozens of concerts each year, mostly in and around Germany. Her 2018 Nichts versäumt ("Missed Nothing") tour was a huge success, with over 250,000 fans attending.
In 2021, some of Nena's concerts were canceled. This was because of disagreements over the COVID-19 safety rules for live events. Nena stated that she wanted everyone to be welcome at her shows, no matter their choices about health measures. After all restrictions were lifted, she returned to her regular touring schedule.
Other Work
Besides singing, Nena has also worked in movies and television. She starred in the 1983 musical comedy film Gib Gas – Ich will Spass ("Gimme Gas - I Want Fun"). She has also been a voice actor for the German versions of popular movies. She was the voice of Princess Selenia in Arthur and the Invisibles (2006) and the dragon Saphira in Eragon (2006).
Nena has been a coach on the TV show The Voice of Germany for three seasons. She has also appeared as a judge on The Voice Kids with her daughter, Larissa.
In 2007, she helped start a school in Hamburg called the Neue Schule Hamburg.
Personal Life
After the Nena band split up, Nena had a relationship with Swiss actor Benedict Freitag. They had three children together.
Later, Nena began a relationship with music producer Philipp Palm. They have two children together. Today, Nena and Philipp live in Hamburg with their four children.
Nena is also a grandmother. Her children have made her a big part of their lives. Since 2010, her twins Sakias and Larissa have been her backing singers. Her youngest son, Simeon, has played keyboards with her on stage since 2015.
Discography
The Stripes
- 1980: The Stripes
Nena (band)
- 1983: Nena
- 1984: ? (Fragezeichen)
- 1984: 99 Luftballons
- 1985: Feuer und Flamme
- 1985: It's All in the Game
- 1986: Eisbrecher
Nena (solo)
- 1989: Wunder gescheh'n
- 1992: Bongo Girl
- 1994: Und alles dreht sich
- 1997: Jamma nich
- 1998: Wenn alles richtig ist, dann stimmt was nich
- 2001: Chokmah
- 2002: Nena feat. Nena
- 2005: Willst du mit mir gehn
- 2007: Cover Me
- 2009: Made in Germany
- 2012: Du bist gut
- 2015: Oldschool
- 2020: Licht
Filmography
Concert films
- Europatour '84 (1984)
- Nena feat. Nena Live (2002)
- Made in Germany: Live in Concert (2010)
- Nichts versäumt Live (2018)
Acting Roles
- Gib Gas – Ich will Spass (1983)
- Der Unsichtbare (1987)
Voice Roles (German Dubs)
- Quest for Camelot (1998) as Kayley (singing voice)
- The Abrafaxe – Under The Black Flag (2001) as Anne Bonny
- Arthur and the Invisibles (2006) as Princess Selenia
- Eragon (2006) as Saphira
See also
In Spanish: Nena para niños
- Mononymous persons
