Next year's Auckland Arts festival has a Cherry on top. Neneh Cherry, the Swedish-born star who broke out of the late 80s/early 90s British trip-hop scene is included in the event's programme of performers announced today.
The now 50-year-old Cherry had a run of hits starting with 1988 Buffalo Stance and Manchild through to 1996's 7 Seconds, her duet with Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour.
She stopped making solo albums but concentrated on motherhood and a variety of musical projects, some with producer husband Cameron McVey, some - like cirKus - involving their two daughters, and one influenced by Cherry's stepfather, jazz trumpeter Don Cherry.
She's playing the tented Festival Club on Wednesday, March 4,
Cherry will be backed by "the skeletal drums and brooding synths" of RocketNumberNine who were associated with her latest album, Blank Project, produced by Keiren Hebden of Four Tet and released to wide acclaim earlier this year.
