Ava Cherry

**Ava Cherry** mawaƙiya ce kuma mai tallan kayan kawa ta Amurka. Ta yi aiki tare da mawaƙin Ingila David Bowie tsakanin 1972 da 1975; su biyun sun haɗu a birnin New York lokacin da take hidimar dare a gidan rawa, yayin da Bowie kuma ke yawon shakatawa a shirin *The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust da Spiders from Mars* . Bayan haka, sun fara wani lokaci na haɗin gwiwa na kashin kai da fasaha wanda ya yi tasiri sosai ga zamanin " Soul blue-eyed " na *Matasan Amurka* . Bayan haka, ta yi fice a matsayin mawaƙiya kaɗai kuma mai goyon bayan mawaƙa kamar Luther Vandross da Chaka Khan .

Tana girma a Chicago tare da fahimtar al'adun kiɗan 'yan Afirka-Amurka, Cherry ta zama mai tasiri a ayyukan wasu fitattun mawaka, da kuma mawaƙiya mai daraja a cikin ikonta. Tasirin Cherry ga *Matasan Amurka* ta hanyar alaƙarta da manyan cibiyoyin kiɗan rai kamar Sigma Sound Studios da Apollo Theater ya tabbatar da wani ɓangare na musamman na gadonta, haka nan kuma aikinta na zamani tare da sabbin ƙungiyar mawaƙa ta Astronettes.

Aikin Cherry kaɗai ya daɗe yana gudana, inda aka fitar da kundin waƙoƙinta na farko *Ripe!!!* a shekarar 1980. Ayyukanta kaɗai, waɗanda aka san su da tasirin disco, sun sami karbuwa sosai daga masu suka, amma rashin nasarar kasuwanci: abubuwan da ake zargi da haifar da wannan rashin jituwa tsakanin masu ruwa da tsaki sun haɗa da wariyar launin fata a cikin masana'antar kiɗa da kuma sukar da ake yi wa nau'ikan waƙoƙinta da suka fi yawa.

A watan Janairun 2022 ta fitar da tarihin rayuwarta mai suna *All That Glitters: The Ava Cherry Story* . 

## Rayuwa ta farko
An haifi Cherry a shekarar 1953  ga wani dangin Baƙar fata ɗan Amurka a Woodlawn, wani unguwa mai aiki a gefen kudu na Chicago . Mahaifinta ma'aikacin gidan waya ne kuma mai buga ƙaho wanda ke aiki na tsawon sa'o'i, "daga ƙarfe huɗu na safe [har zuwa ƙarfe tara na dare", kuma ba ta cika ganinsa ba; mahaifiyarta tana aiki a sashen gudanarwa na Playboy Enterprises .  Sana'o'in iyayen biyu sun bar mata babban tasiri; mahaifinta ya rene ta don ta ji daɗin kiɗa kuma ta zauna na ɗan lokaci a cikin Playboy Mansion a matsayin zomo .  Cherry ta gabatar da ita ga Hugh Hefner daga abokanta, kuma ba ta kai shekara ba a lokacin da take zaune a gidan.  Ta halarci Makarantar Sakandare ta Academy of Our Lady kuma ta kammala karatunta a farkon shekarun 1970.   Tun tana matashiya, ta rera waƙa a cikin ƙungiyar 'yan mata da Supremes suka rinjayi kuma ta kasance mai halarta akai-akai a Regal Theatre da ke Chicago, wurin da masoyan kiɗan baƙar fata ke halarta akai-akai. 

Da farko Cherry ta yi burin zama mai tallan kayan kawa bayan kammala karatun sakandare, inda ta tattara littafin hotunan kai da kuma neman aiki tare da hukumomi da dama. Ba ta son sunan mahaifinta da ba a saba gani ba, amma hukumomin tallan kayan kawa sun gaya mata cewa wani kadara ne ga aikinta. Daga baya Cherry ta koma birnin New York saboda aikinta, amma hakan ya gaza, kuma ta sami aiki a matsayin mai hidimar hadaddiyar giya don biyan kuɗin.

## Hulɗa da David Bowie
Cherry ta fara jin labarin David Bowie ta hannun wakilinta, wanda yake mai sha'awar fim ɗin farko kuma ya ba ta kwafin littafin *The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars* . Ta yi sha'awar wannan waƙar, wadda ta buga "kimanin sau ɗari", da kuma kyawun salon Bowie.  A lokacin, Cherry mai hidima ce a gidan rawa na Genesis kuma abokiyar budurwar Stevie Wonder a wancan lokacin,  wacce ta san Bowie; lokacin da ta gayyaci Wonder ta shirya wani biki a Genesis, Bowie ta halarta. Lokacin da suka fara haɗuwa, gashinta mai launin shuɗi ya ja hankalinsa ya tambaye shi ko ita mawaƙiya ce, yana gayyatarta a nan take ta rera waƙa a wani rangadin da aka shirya yi a Japan.  

Dangantakarsu ta yi sauri ta koma ta sirri da kuma ta ƙwararru. Ba da daɗewa ba bayan sun fara soyayya, Cherry ta haɗu da matar Bowie Angela Barnett (wanda aka fi sani da Angie Bowie) kuma ta yi mamakin jin cewa ya yi aure har sai da Bowie ta bayyana cewa suna cikin aure a fili .  Cherry da Barnett sun fara zama abokai,  amma daga ƙarshe suka fara kishi da juna.  Da take tsammanin rangadin Japan, Cherry ta bar aikinta ta sayar da gidanta, sai kawai aka soke rangadin. Ba tare da an hana ta ba, ta tafi Turai don neman Bowie. 

A lokacin da take tafiya a Turai, Cherry ta jawo hankalin wasu kamfanonin tallan kayan kawa saboda kyawunta da kyawunta. Masu zane-zane sun dauke ta a matsayin "aljanna daga sararin samaniya" yayin da take zagayawa manyan biranen kayan kawa na Paris, London, da Milan, kuma an nuna ta a cikin *Vogue* da *Elle* .  Bayan shekara guda, Cherry ta sami Bowie tana aiki a kan kundin *Pin Ups* kusa da Paris. Sun yi mako guda a Château d'Hérouville don yin rikodin kundin, wanda ta bayyana a matsayin "ɗaya daga cikin mafi kyawun lokaci a rayuwata", kuma sun zauna tare a Paris na tsawon watanni takwas.  

Bowie ya yi fatan jagorantar aikin Cherry mai tasowa, yana mai cewa za ta iya zama " Josephine Baker na gaba" kuma yana fatan sanya hannu a kan ta zuwa MainMan, wanda manajansa Tony Defries ke jagoranta.  Ya kafa wani mutum uku da ke da tasiri a rai mai suna The Astronettes, tare da Cherry, abokin aiki na dogon lokaci Warren Peace, da Jason Guess, kuma ya yi rikodin kuma ya samar da waƙoƙinsu a Landan har zuwa ƙarshen 1973 da farkon 1974. An ajiye aikin Astronettes cikin sauri kuma ba a fitar da kayan ba har sai a shekarun 1990; duk da haka, Bowie ya riƙe mutanen uku a matsayin mawaƙan da ke goyon bayansa a zamanin *Diamond Dogs* .  Astronettes sun sami bita iri-iri, inda wasu suka bayyana shi a matsayin "zane-zane" kawai mai mahimmanci a matsayin abin sha'awa, yayin da wasu suka yaba da shi saboda " sabon yanayi kafin kalmar ta wanzu".  

Babban tasirin Cherry ga Bowie ya kasance a cikin kundin waƙoƙin *Young Americans* na tara da ya yi a studio. Ayyukan da suka yi tasiri sosai ga rayuwar Bowie sun jawo sha'awar Bowie ga waƙoƙin baƙar fata, kuma 'yan wasan Cherry uku masu goyon baya, Robin Clark (matar ɗan guitar Carlos Alomar ), kuma wani Luther Vandross wanda ba a san shi ba a lokacin ya shafi sautin kundin. Cherry ya gabatar da shi ga Apollo Theater, inda ya kori Alomar da Vandross daga ƙungiyar mawakan gida; Bowie da Alomar za su ci gaba da rubuta wasu daga cikin waƙoƙin da suka fi samun nasara a kundin, yayin da Vandross zai fito a matsayin fitaccen ɗan wasa a cikin ikonsa.   Ta kuma gabatar da shi ga Sigma Sound Studios, wanda aka yi wa laƙabi da Philadelphia soul, inda aka yi rikodin kundin.  Daga baya an ambato Cherry tana cewa tasirinta a kan Bowie da ƙarfafa shi ne ya zaburar da shi ya yi waƙar baƙar fata tun farko.  Ta kasance fitacciyar memba a ƙungiyar mawakan goyon bayan *Young Americans*, wanda ya jawo amincewar masu suka Lester Bangs a *Creem* . 

Ana ta jayayya kan ainihin yanayin dangantakar Bowie da Cherry a wannan zamanin; Tony Visconti ya tuna da su a matsayin waɗanda ba su da wata alaƙa ta soyayya, kuma Bowie galibi tana da sha'awar samun mukami a cikin aikinta. Barnett ba ta saba da girman dangantakarsu ba kuma an ruwaito cewa ta kusan tsalle daga taga lokacin da ta fahimci kusancinsu.  Matsalar da ke tsakanin Cherry da Barnett ta buƙaci na farko ya ci gaba da kasancewa a gaban na biyu, duk da cewa Cherry da Bowie sun ci gaba da dangantaka a New York. Dangantakarsu kuma ta kasance mai ma'ana biyu, tunda ana sa ran Cherry za ta kasance mai aminci yayin da Bowie ke da wasu abokan tarayya da yawa.

Tun daga farkon zuwa tsakiyar shekarun 1970s lokaci ne mai cike da rudani a rayuwar Bowie, wanda aka nuna shi da karuwar shahara da shan miyagun kwayoyi. Lokacin da ya haɗu da iyayen Cherry, ya ba su mamaki ta hanyar fitar da kwalbar hodar iblis a teburin cin abinci.  Ragewar Bowie sakamakon shan miyagun ƙwayoyi ya zo wa Cherry mamaki, domin bai sha ƙwayoyi sosai ba lokacin da suka fara haɗuwa.  Dangantakarsu ta yi tsanani, inda aka ruwaito cewa Bowie yana tunanin sake Barnett don ya aure ta,  amma ya samu nakasa saboda matsalolin sirri da na kuɗi na Bowie. Ya ƙara zama mai tsoro, yana sanya matsin lamba ga dangantakarsu.  Bowie da Defries sun sami manyan rikice-rikicen kuɗi a tsawon lokacin, wanda ya kai ga gano cewa mawakiyar tana da miliyoyin daloli ƙasa da yadda yake tsammani; damuwar da ta haifar ta fuskar kuɗi ta sa ya yanke alaƙa da mutane da yawa, ciki har da Cherry, kuma ya kore ta daga Isolar Tour mai zuwa.   Ta ce shi ne ya rubuta waƙoƙin " Golden Years " da " Stay " daga *Station zuwa Station* game da ita,  kodayake ainihin wanda aka rubuta wa waƙoƙin ba a yi jayayya da shi ba daga masu rubuta tarihin rayuwar Bowie.   

## Sana'a

### Masu Taurari da GO
Bowie ya shirya Cherry da wasu abokan aiki biyu su shiga ƙungiyar goyon baya mai suna The Astronettes kuma ya yi rikodin kundi tare da su; duk da haka, ba a fitar da kundi ba sai a shekarar 1995 a matsayin *People From Bad Homes* . An fitar da kundi ba tare da amincewar Cherry ko Bowie *ba*, kuma Cherry ta yi matukar damuwa da cewa an fitar da waƙoƙin demo da ba a kammala ba ga jama'a.  *Wasu* masu sharhi sun ɗauki *People From Bad Homes* a matsayin abin sha'awa wanda ba *shi* da wani amfani sai dai don rubuta tarihin waƙoƙin Bowie na baya, kamar " Scream Like a Baby ", sake fasalin "I Am a Laser" na Cherry.  Duk da haka, ƙarin ra'ayoyi masu kyau sun amince da kundi don sabbin halayensa na wave .  A cikin 2008, an sake fitar da irin waɗannan rikodin kamar *The Astronettes Sessions* . 

Bayan rasuwar dangantakarta da Bowie, Cherry ta shiga ƙungiyar jazz mai ci gaba GO .  Ƙungiyar ta kasance tare da Steve Winwood,  tsohon mai buga ganga na Santana Michael Shrieve, da Stomu Yamashta . 

### Aiki na kaɗaici
Bayan GO, Cherry ta koma Chicago don fara aikinta na kaɗaici. Kundin waƙoƙinta na farko shi ne *Ripe!!!*, wanda RSO Records ta fitar a shekarar 1980  kuma Curtis Mayfield ya shirya.  *Ripe!!!* An yi niyyar Gil Askey ne ya shirya shi don Curtom Records, amma bai ji daɗin aikinta da Bowie ba.  Kundin waƙoƙin ya yi tasiri kaɗan a kan jadawalin waƙoƙin Billboard Black Albums,  amma an hana shi saboda kasancewar kundin waƙoƙin disko da aka fitar a lokacin da aka yi ta sukar rashin jituwa da disco.  An fitar da waƙoƙi biyu, "Love Is Good News"  da "I Just Can't Shake This Feeling".  Ƙaramin nasarar da kundin ya samu tare da tarihin Cherry ya isa ya sa ta sanya hannu kan yarjejeniya da Capitol Records jim kaɗan bayan haka. 

An fitar da kundin wakokin Cherry na biyu *mai suna Streetcar Named Desire* a shekarar 1982. Bob Esty ne ya shirya shi, wanda ya yi aiki tare da Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand, da Cher .  *Streetcar Named Desire* bai yi nasara a harkar kasuwanci ba,  kamar yadda aka samar da waƙoƙin guda biyu, "Streetcar Named Desire"  da "Love To Be Touched".  Rashin nasararsa wani ɓangare ne na ra'ayin launin fata a masana'antar kiɗa; an ruwaito cewa tashoshin rediyo na pop sun daina kunna kundin bayan sun gano cewa Cherry mawaki ne baƙar fata yana yin kiɗan 'fari'.  Ɗaukar martanin zamani ya kasance mai kyau, yana kwatanta kundin a matsayin "wani abin dariya mai amfani da wutar lantarki" da kuma jawo alaƙa da Grace Jones da Debbie Harry .  

An fitar da kundin wakokin fim na uku na Cherry *mai suna Picture Me* a shekarar 1987. Wannan shine mafi nasarar da ta samu a ƙoƙarinta na kaɗaici, inda ta samar da waƙoƙi guda biyu mafi shahara a cikin waƙoƙin rawa guda 40, amma ta faɗi ƙasa da tsammanin kasuwancin kamfanin.   Ci gaba da tasirin disco na kundin an sanya shi a matsayin dalilin da ya sa Cherry ta kasa shiga cikin manyan waƙoƙin pop.  Duk da haka, ya yi nasara sosai har aka yi shelar Cherry a matsayin ɗaya daga cikin mata da suka canza fuskar pop na zamani.  *Picture Me* ya sami sharhi iri-iri, wanda aka bayyana shi a matsayin "slick and sexy synth pop", amma kuma a matsayin kundin wakoki mai laushi na "skimpy grooves" da aka fi kunnawa.  

Cherry ba ta fitar da wani rikodin kaɗai ba har sai da EP *Spend the Night* a shekarar 1997, wanda aka fi sani da murfin " Forget Me Nots " na Patrice Rushen .  J-Bird Records ne ya fitar da *Spend the Night*,  ɗaya daga cikin lakabin rikodin farko da aka rarraba ta Intanet.  Bayan *Spend the Night*, Cherry ta rarraba waƙoƙi da yawa a farkon shekarun 2010.   A shekarar 2019 ta sanya hannu kan lakabin Wake Up! Music mai zaman kansa,  wanda ta fitar da murfin Bowie na " Let's Dance "  da kuma waƙar nu-disco "Testify Love". 

### Mawakin madadin
A tsawon shekarun 1980 da 1990, Cherry ta kuma yi aiki a matsayin mawaƙiya ga mawaƙin R&B Luther Vandross .  Ma'auratan sun haɗu shekaru da yawa da suka gabata a matsayin mawaƙa ga Bowie, kuma sun gina dangantaka ta kud da kud, inda Cherry ta kira shi kamar ɗan'uwa.  A matsayinta na abokiyar Vandross kuma mataimakiyar Vandross, ta taka rawa ta musamman a shirye-shiryensa na kan mataki; kyawunta da kyawunta ya fi nasa shahara, tare da shirye-shiryen kan mataki da aka gina a kusa da ita da sauran mawaƙa na kan mataki maimakon babban abin jan hankali.  Rigunan da Cherry ke sawa a kan mataki galibi suna da tsada fiye da kayansa.  Mayar da hankali kan Vandross ga Cherry da Lisa Fischer a matsayin babban ɓangare na shirinsa na kan mataki ya haifar da matsaloli ga sauran mawaƙa na kan mataki, waɗanda aka buƙaci su nutse a baya kuma kada su fi su, kuma a yi musu mummunan zagi idan an yi tunanin za su jawo hankali sosai.  An yi nazarin matsayin Cherry a cikin wasan kwaikwayo na Vandross saboda mahimmancinsa da kuma tasirinsa ga Vandross, mutum mai ban sha'awa wanda ke da hasashe mai yawa game da rayuwarsa ta sirri da kuma yanayin jima'i. 

Cherry ta kuma rera waƙar madadin waka ga Chaka Khan  da Robert Palmer .  A shekarar 2013 ta fito a cikin fim ɗin *20 Feet daga Stardom*, wani shirin gaskiya game da mawaƙan baya. 

## Kundin Waƙoƙi

### Kundin waƙoƙi da EPs

* *Ya cika!!!* (1980, RSO Records)
* *Titin Mota Mai Suna Desire* (1982, Capitol Records)
* *Hoto Ni* (1987, Capitol Records)
* *Mutane Daga Mummunan Gidaje* (1995) a matsayin Ava Cherry & The Astronettes 
* *Ku Dare* (1997, J-Bird Records)
* *Zaman Astronettes* a matsayin Astronettes (2008, Black Barbarella Records) 

## Bayanan kula
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## Manazarta