A Thousand Threads, Neneh Cherry
A Thousand Threads, Neneh Cherry
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A Thousand Threads
A Memoir

Author: Neneh Cherry

Narrator: Neneh Cherry

Unabridged: 9 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/08/2024


Synopsis

Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize

“Neneh is cool, Neneh is wise, Neneh is a legend. Her memoir is a treasure. I loved it.” —Zadie Smith

This vibrant memoir from Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry offers an inside look at her fascinating career and is “a living testament to artistic invention and the people who are driven by it” (The Guardian).

Born in Sweden in 1964, Neneh Cherry’s father Ahmadu was a musician from Sierra Leone. Her mother, Moki, was a twenty-one-year-old Swedish textile artist. Her parents split up just after Neneh was born, and not long afterwards Moki met and fell in love with acclaimed jazz musician Don Cherry. Eventually, the strong pull New York City in the 1970s drew him them there, but they made a home wherever they traveled. Neneh and her brother Eagle-Eye experienced a life of creativity, freedom, and, of course, music.

In A Thousand Threads, Neneh takes readers from the charming old schoolhouse in the woods of Sweden where she grew up, to the village in Sierra Leone that was birthplace of her biological father, to the early punk scene in London and New York, to finding her identity with her stepfather’s family in Watts, California. Neneh has lived an extraordinary life of connectivity and creativity and she recounts in intimate detail how she burst onto the scene as a teenager in the punk band The Slits, and went on to release her first album in 1989 with a worldwide hit single “Buffalo Stance.”

Neneh’s inspiring and deeply compelling memoir both celebrates female empowerment and shines a light on the global music scene—and is perfect for anyone interested in the artistic life in all its forms.

About Neneh Cherry

Grammy Award–nominated artist Neneh Cherry was born in Sweden. Her musical career started in London in the early 1980s, where she performed in a number of bands including The Slits. Her first album, Raw Like Sushi, was released in 1989 and hit #3 on the charts, with a worldwide hit single “Buffalo Stance.” She has three children and divides her time between London and Stockholm.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Martin

Scribner provided an early galley for review. I would instantly know the cover of this book as it shares the same image as that on her 1989 banger debut album Raw Like Sushi Being very close in age (we're just a year apart) and thus coming from the same generation, I was very interested to know her s......more

As soon as I saw Neneh Cherry had a memoir coming out I’d been looking forward to reading it. I remember watching her first performance on Top of the Pops back in the late 80’s when I was a young teenager. I loved her music and I played the cassette tape I had of her debut album Raw Like Sushi repea......more

Goodreads review by Nicola

Neneh Cherry wrote a memoir? As soon as I saw this listed for publication I knew I was going to buy it and read it,who can forget the soundtrack of the late 80s with hip hop and house music and in the midst of it Neneh Cherry comes along with Buffalo Stance and her debut album Raw Like Sushi,I didn'......more

Goodreads review by Ruth

This is a fascinating insight into the life of Nenah Cherry, a lifestyle very different to mine but one clearly encircled with love and creativity. Throughout is the thread of love for her whole family, but particularly her mother Moki. A really engaging and interesting read.......more


Quotes

"Like any great performer, Neneh Cherry keeps the energy high, delivering anecdotes in a voice that is warm and powerful. Experiencing her performance seems like talking about life with a cool friend."