Nena

Nena is the stage name of German singer and actress Gabriele Susanne Kerner, born in 1960 in Hagen, Germany. She performs solo from 1987, and is associated with neue deutsche welle, new wave, pop, pop rock and synth-pop.

Early career and the band Nena

Before her solo work, she first performs with The Stripes from 1979. She then forms the band Nena in West Berlin in 1981 with Rolf Brendel on drums, Carlo Karges on guitar, Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen on keyboard and Jürgen Dehmel on bass. The group becomes known for its German-language hit “Nur geträumt”, which follows an appearance on the television programme Musikladen.

The band’s self-titled debut album appears in 1983 and includes “99 Luftballons” and “Leuchtturm”. “99 Luftballons” and its English version, “99 Red Balloons”, become major international hits, reaching number one in singles charts in several countries. The band also releases the English-language albums 99 Luftballons and It’s All In The Game, alongside the studio albums Fragezeichen in 1984, Feuer und Flamme in 1985 and Eisbrecher in 1986. The group disbands in 1987 without formally announcing the end.

Solo work

After the band splits, Nena continues with a solo career through the 1990s, including children’s albums. In 2002, she marks 20 years on stage with Nena feat. Nena, a collection of self-covers of older songs. The album is described as a comeback for her in German pop music.

Her 2005 album Willst du mit mir gehn reaches platinum status, and its first single, “Liebe ist”, reaches number one in the German charts. In 2007, she releases Cover Me, an album of cover versions in both German and English. She also voices the character Lea in the animated film Tobias Totz und sein Löwe in 1999.

Other work

Outside recording, Nena co-founds the school Neue Schule Hamburg in 2007. She is also linked with the projects Marlon + Freunde and Band für Afrika, and releases music through Nena Musikverlag.

Her nickname “Nena” comes from Spanish and means “baby girl”.