Chena - Promises (1989)

I am delighted to present another artist on whom I can find no info. I say delighted because many of the artists I post about don't end up being as obscure as I had once supposed, thanks to the internet, and obscurity was initially what this blog was based on. That being said, I present Chena (or Chēna, as it was sometimes spelled to convey that her name was pronounced Chee-na). When perusing a dance music magazine that I read religiously back in the day, I came across an ad for this album. Though I had no idea what it sounded like, I demanded that my mother pick up the cassette when she went to the US (it wasn't released in Canada and we didn't get many US imports back then). When she returned with it, I excitedly threw it on. Alas, it wasn't as mind-blowing as I'd hoped, but it was a fun 80's dance-pop album. The same crew that worked with Hi-NRG faves The Flirts and Claudja Barry (including Claudja's husband Jurgen Korduletsch) worked on this, so the result is comparable to their late 80s work. Chena's voice is relatively thin, but apparently that was excusable in pop and dance music in the late 80s. She released three singles: "Mama Said", "Bring Back My Heart" and "E.S.P.", which is a freestyle/house hybrid and the best track by far, IMO. None of the singles made much impact beyond select dance clubs and Chena remained an obscurity. Until now! I found the CD on Amazon for a steal and had to get it to share with y'all. Though it's even less substantial than I remember, it's perfect for fans of the Isle. ;)

Download Promises

1		Mama Said
2		My Boyfriend's Back
3		Bring Back My Heart
4		Don't Tell Me
5		Promises
6		When He Walks Me Home
7		Keeps On Gettin' Better
8		One Thing (Leads To Another)
9		E.S.P.