Che'Nelle

Che'Nelle Lim traces her wide-ranging style to an early love of karaoke that took root during her childhood in Kota Kinabalu, a village in Sabah, Malaysia. The pastime eased the adjustment when her family moved to Perth, Australia, and years afterward she carried that interest further by writing and producing original songs in her own home studio. She posted several tracks on her MySpace page, which drew the attention of veteran radio programmer and DJ Sir Charles Dixon. Impressed by her talent and commercial promise, the Virgin label offered her a contract once Dixon set up an introduction toward the close of 2005. The resulting album, Things Happen for a Reason, appeared in 2007 and showcased productions by an array of established figures, among them James Poyser, Sean Garrett, and Rich Harrison, while every track was penned or co-penned by Che'Nelle.