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 on March 24, 1960), known as Nena, is a famous German singer. She became known worldwide in 1983 as the lead singer of the band Nena. Their song "99 Luftballons" was a huge hit.
The band later re-recorded "99 Luftballons" in English as "99 Red Balloons". Nena started her solo career again in 2002. She re-recorded many of her old band's songs. Nena has sold over 25 million records. This makes her the most successful German pop singer ever.
Contents
Early Life of Nena
Gabriele Susanne Kerner was born on March 24, 1960. Her family lived in Breckerfeld, near Hagen, West Germany. She spent her early childhood there.
She got her nickname "Nena" during a family vacation. They were in Mallorca, Spain. "Nena" means "girl" in Spanish and Catalan. In 1977, she left high school. For the next three years, she trained to be a goldsmith.
Nena's Music Career
How Nena Started in Music
Nena's music journey began on July 2, 1979. A guitarist named Rainer Kitzmann saw her dancing. He asked her to try out for his band, The Stripes.
The band was from Hagen and sang songs in English. They had a small hit called "Ecstasy." But they didn't become very famous and broke up in 1982.
However, their record company, CBS, offered Nena a deal. She would get a record deal if she moved to Berlin. She also had to make music with German lyrics.
In May 1982, Nena moved to West Berlin with her boyfriend, Rolf Brendel. There, they met other musicians. These included guitarist Carlo Karges, keyboard player Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, and bass player Jürgen Dehmel. Together, they formed the band Nena.
In June 1982, their first song, "Nur geträumt", came out. It became an instant hit in Germany. This happened after the band performed on the TV show Musikladen. The song reportedly sold 40,000 copies the day after the show. It reached number 2 on the German charts.
International Success and Band Breakup
In 1983, the band released their first album, Nena. It included the hits "99 Luftballons" and "Leuchtturm". "99 Luftballons" became number one in West Germany and the Netherlands.
The song then became a huge international hit in 1984. The English version reached number 1 in the UK. The original German version reached number 2 in the US. It is one of the most famous German rock songs worldwide.
In 1984, Nena was on tour in the UK. She made headlines for her unshaved armpits. This was common in Europe but unusual in English-speaking countries. Nena was surprised by the attention. She later decided to shave and has done so ever since.
Even though "99 Luftballons" was their only big hit in English-speaking countries, the band stayed popular in Europe. They had success with songs like "Irgendwie, irgendwo, irgendwann". The band Nena broke up in 1987. After that, Nena started her solo career.
Starting Her Solo Career
Nena's first solo album, Wunder gescheh'n, came out on November 5, 1989. The main song, "Wunder gescheh'n" (meaning "Miracles Happen"), was about her being pregnant with twins.
The album was released just four days before the Berlin Wall fell. Nena performed the song at a concert for Berlin. Because of this, the song became linked to that historic event. This was her last big hit of the 20th century.
Throughout the 1990s, her solo albums were not as successful. In 1993, her record company decided not to renew her contract. In 1995, Nena and her family moved from Berlin to Hamburg.
Return to Success in the Charts
In 2002, Nena celebrated 20 years in music. She released the album Nena feat. Nena. This album had new versions of her band's hits from the 1980s. It was produced by Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, her former bandmate.
This album was a big "comeback" for Nena. Many songs from it became hits. A new version of "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime" was a duet with Kim Wilde. It was a hit in many European countries. It reached number 1 in the Netherlands and Austria in 2003.
Nena then released new music with the 2005 album Willst du mit mir gehn. This album quickly sold very well. It reached number 2 on the German charts. The first song from the album, "Liebe ist", reached number 1 in Germany in 2005. It was the theme song for a German TV show. This song reached the top spot 22 years after "99 Luftballons". This is the longest time between number one hits in German chart history.
In October 2007, Nena released Cover Me. This album was made up entirely of cover songs. She covered songs by David Bowie, Rolling Stones, and Rammstein. In 2009, she released a new version of "99 Luftballons." This version was closer to the original 1980s song. Some parts of this new version are in French.
Starting Her Own Record Label
Since 2009, Nena has released her music through her own record label. It's called The Laugh & Peas Company. This label also helps promote music by her daughter's group.
Nena released a new song called "Wir sind wahr" in 2009. A new album, Made in Germany, followed. A song from this album, "In meinem Leben", became her fourteenth top 10 hit in Germany. This made her one of the top German artists with the most top 10 hits. She also worked with techno-rap artists Die Atzen.
In late 2012, Nena released her 11th solo album, Du bist gut. It reached number 2 on the German charts.
Nena's next album, Oldschool, came out in 2015. It was produced by German rapper Samy Deluxe. The album did well, reaching the top 5 in Germany. A song from the album, "Magie," became popular through downloads. In 2016, another song from Oldschool, "Genau jetzt," returned Nena to the German Top 30 singles chart.
Recent Music and Collaborations
The time between Oldschool and her 2020 album Licht was the longest break between new studio albums for Nena. She released two live albums during this time. She also worked with other artists like Zara Larsson and Dave Stewart.
In 2019, Nena sang on the title track of Schiller's album Morgenstund. This album reached number 1 in Germany. In February 2020, Nena announced new music. A month later, on her 60th birthday, she released the song "Licht." This became the title track of her album released in October. Licht also did well on the charts.
Live Performances
Since 1997, Nena has toured Germany and nearby countries every year. She usually performs many concerts each year.
In 2003, she sang "99 Luftballons" at a concert in London. In 2004, Nena performed at the Mayday Music Festival in Dortmund. She sang with the techno duo Toktok and DJ Westbam.
In 2015, Nena promoted her Oldschool album with a "club tour." She played in smaller venues, including her old primary school. A recording of one of these concerts was released as a live album. Later in 2015, Nena planned to perform live in the US for the first time. This "mini tour" happened in September and October 2016. During this tour, she met Dave Stewart. They worked together on the song "Be my rebel." The music video for this song won many international awards.
Nena's 2018 Nichts versäumt tour was very popular. It attracted over 250,000 fans. It won an award for "concert hall tour of the year." A concert from this tour was recorded for a live DVD.
Some of Nena's concerts in 2020 were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She later held "drive-in" and "picnic" concerts. These followed Germany's social distancing rules. In 2021, Nena made headlines for her views on concert attendance during the pandemic. Some of her festival appearances were canceled. In September 2021, Nena canceled her remaining 2022 concerts in Germany. She said that all people are welcome at her concerts. In late 2022, with restrictions lifted, Nena announced she would resume her regular touring in 2023.
Other Work by Nena
Besides singing, Nena has also acted in movies. She was in the musical comedy Gib Gas – Ich will Spass (1983). She also appeared in the comedy Der Unsichtbare (1987).
Nena has also lent her voice to animated characters. She was the voice of Saphira in the German version of Eragon (2006). She also voiced the Princess in the German version of Arthur and the Invisibles (2006).
In 2008, Nena was a coach on the German TV show Dein Song. On this show, artists help young people create songs. Nena was also a coach on The Voice of Germany for three seasons. In 2016, she was on Sing meinen Song. This show features artists performing each other's songs. In 2017 and 2018, Nena was a judge on The Voice Kids with her daughter Larissa.
In 2007, Nena helped start the Neue Schule Hamburg. This is a school that follows a special learning model.
Nena also wrote a book about her life. It's called Willst du mit mir gehn. She wrote it with a journalist, Claudia Thesenfitz. The book shares stories from Nena's life.
Nena has released several albums with songs for children. In the 1990s, she hosted TV shows like Metro. She also hosted Countdown Grand Prix, which was Germany's show to choose a song for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Nena's Influences and Interests
Nena has said that Ramones, David Bowie, and Debbie Harry influenced her early on. Her favorite band and main inspiration is The Rolling Stones. Nena has covered their songs in concerts and on her Cover Me album. She once said that if she hadn't listened to the Rolling Stones as a child, she would be a different person.
Nena supports various good causes. She supports "Ehe für alle" (marriage for everyone). As a mother, she also supports campaigns for midwifery services.
Nena has been part of charity music groups. In 1985, she was in "Band für Afrika," like Band Aid in Germany. In 2006, she was in "Marlon und Freunde." Their song "Lieber Gott" raised money for flood victims. Nena also supports local charities. In 2015, she ran a race to help a children's hospice.
Nena is a vegetarian. She believes in Jesus and God. She says that thanking God for each new day is a key part of her spiritual life.
Nena's Personal Life
Nena and the band's drummer, Rolf Brendel, broke up in 1987. Nena's feelings about this were in the song "Jetzt bist du weg".
After that, Nena started dating Swiss actor Benedict Freitag. They had three children together. In 1990, they had twins, Larissa Maria and Sakias Manuel.
After splitting with Freitag, Nena started a relationship with drummer and music producer Philipp Palm. They had two more children, Samuel Vincent (born 1995) and Simeon Joel (born 1997). Nena, Philipp, and their four children live in Hamburg.
Nena became a grandmother on Christmas Day 2009. Her daughter Larissa gave birth to a girl, Carla Maria. Just two days later, her son Sakias became a father to a boy named Noah. She has two more grandchildren, Victor (born 2013) and another born in 2018.
Since 2010, Nena's twins, Sakias and Larissa, have sung backup for her on stage and on her albums. Since 2015, her youngest son Simeon has joined her on stage playing keyboards.
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)
- Starportrait Nena (1984)
- Nena feat. Nena Live (2002)
- Made in Germany: Live in Concert (2010)
- Nichts versäumt Live (2018)
Leading roles
- Gib Gas – Ich will Spass (1983)
Supporting roles
- Der Unsichtbare (1987)
Guest appearances
- Richy Guitar (1985)
- Day Thieves (1985)
- Die Affäre Semmeling (2002)
Voice roles
- Quest for Camelot (1998) as Kayley (singing voice, German dub)
- Tobias Totz und sein Löwe: des Löwen Freundin (1999) as Lea
- The Abrafaxe – Under The Black Flag (2001) as Anne Bonny
- Return to Neverland (2002) as Jane Darling (singing voice, German dub)
- Madou und das Licht der Fantasie (2003) as Narrator
- Arthur and the Invisibles (2006) as Princess Selenia (German dub)
- Eragon (2006) as Saphira (German dub)
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See also
In Spanish: Nena para niños
- Mononymous persons
