Where is Sade?
Helen Folasade Adu, more commonly known to her fans as Sade, was born in January 16th, 1959 in Ibadan Nigeria. Her father was a Nigerian teacher and mother an English nurse. Sade’s parents separated when she was four. Together with her mother they would then move Great Hawkesley in North London.
Sade is a hypnotic performer that puts a calm spell over her listeners. She has a alluring sway and calm soothing style that have her fans craving for more. When you surf the internet and try to find current information on the vocalist, you will not find much. Fan letters and websites are full of comments begging for her return.
On my about page on this Blog I mention putting my guitars on my wall for arts sake. I am not a musician and never will be, but I have a confession. When I listen to Sade, at the right moment when no one is around, I tune up the guitar and play along. I’m not sure what it is, but it seems to be the only moments where I sound like I can really play. Wishful thinking? Of course! Maybe I just want to say that I can play with Sade.
As a teenager Sade studied Fashion design at St. Martins Art College in London while working as a waitress and bike messenger. She was inspired musically through her love of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Gil Scott-Heron, Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield. It was these influences that motivated her to spend most of her free time singing. Her melodic passion would rapidly overtake her fashion career interests. After going to an audition she soon found herself performing as one of three vocalists in an upcoming jazz-funk group known as Pride.
In 1984 Pride eventually became known as Sade, and the singer would begin to hone her song writing craft. Her former Pride members would continue to stay with her and contribute by bringing their instrumental and compositional talents to build an additional structure to Sade’s song writing skills. They would form a team that would continue to play and write together for the next decade
All this talent and skill would come together with her debut album Diamond Life in 1984. That song along with Smooth Operator, Your Love is King and Hang On to Your Love would all top the charts. Sade was then nominated for a Grammy and won the best new artists category. Diamond Life spent 81 weeks on Billboard’s album charts. The album is still the all-time best-selling debut by a British female singer. She even made a brief film debut in Julien Temple’s Absolute Beginners, performing the song Killer Blow, which she co-wrote. Sade was a star!
Her follow up album Promise in 1985 would show that Sade was not going to be forgotten. The album reached No. 1 on the U.S. Pop and R&B charts, and contained top charting hits like The Sweetest Taboo, Never As Good As the First Time, Jezebel and one of my personal favourites Is It A Crime. The album further established her as a musical force.
Sade never craved the spotlight. She was by no means fond of all the attention and preferred to associate with friends rather than bask in the spotlight of inquisitive and demanding journalists. Sade took 3 years away from the limelight before she came out with self produced and arranged album Stronger than Pride in 1988. Then after a 4 year exile she came out with Love Deluxe in 1992. This would bring us the hit No Ordinary Love made popular with the help of the movie Indecent Proposal. The album would remain on the charts for 90 weeks. The Best of Sade in 1994 would showcase the last decade of one of popular music’s most treasured vocalists. Her last album Lovers Rock was released in 2000. To date, Sade has sold over 27 million albums worldwide.
With the exception of a brief performance at the Voices for Darfur charity concert at The Royal Albert Hall in London in 2004, her departure from the music industry is going on almost 8 years. They are so many people who are anxiously waiting for some type of comeback album. For the time being it will be a mystery as to when she may rise again. In the meantime, I continue to dust my collective guitars and hope for the day when a new project will come about. At that point I can restring a few of the guitars and send the family off so I can continue my dream of playing along side that amazing cool sultry voice.
Do you have a favourite Sade song or moment? Where were you when Sade tunes were playing on the radio? I confessed my Sade moment. How about you readers? Is it a Crime? I know you want to!
I am really woundering about where Sade Adu is..There is no homepage-no nothing to say thank you..her music in these days is more present than anything else that they play on the radio…and she knows that perhapst..where is Sade?…Where is Sade?….
Its a bit of a mystery … There are still links available with her record company, so thats a good thing. if I hear anything I will make a comment on this post. Thanks for your comments.
She has moved back to Jamaica. The Father to her child is in Jamaica still and she has moved back to Jamaica. Mystery Solved, Hope this helped. Pastor Chalice
Thanks for the information.
Of course the next question everyone is going to ask is when can we expect to hear some new music?
Another one from UK that dropped off the face of the Earth is Tanita Tikaram, who I also liked a great deal.
Thanks for the attaboy on my piece. Dunno if you read my reply, but I was reading your piece on Magic Sam when your post to me showed up in my email. So, back atcha!
Hey Lou,
Thanks for stopping by the blog … Yes I got your reply. Quite ironic indeed …
Looking forward to reading more of your stuff.
Sade’s magical and distinctive voice will alway remain as my favorite. I have been a fan of Sade since the late 80’s and I had the pleasure of seeing her in concert on her Lover’s Rock tour. I can only hope that I will be lucky enough to see her again someday. Her music moves me like no other artist can. I admire her for “laying low” and living her life in a way that makes her happy instead of the constant chaos that living in the limelight brings. It makes me understand that her love for music is just that… a love. It’s something she feels and creates and it’s not for the popularity of her album or for the money. It’s deeper than that for her… and it’s just another reason that I admire her. I search quite often in hopes that I hear of a new album and song by her, but no luck yet. I anticipate her next release.
Hopefully we will all hear something in the very near future. I love her sound too.
Any favourite songs in particular you enjoy?
Thanks for the comments.
I hope that she will release a new album as well, say what happened to the rest of the band?
I like the song called “Kiss of life” It just brings memories on how I met my wife. Good staff I just hope for something new soon…….peace and be good….
I came home 2 hours ago and listened to Terry Lee Brown–in a disco mood–After that I was listening to: Accentus Transkriptionen 2….it was beautiful…Then I checked your blog–Sade`s Kiss of Life!. Everything came slowly down, and I changed the disc !…. You could fly as fast as the speed of light through a
time tunnel and then through a dark hole first class while visiting each sun system, and you still wouldn’t find a voice like Sade’s. I am absolutely sure that god decided: Let there be SADE! Hopefully it rains forever!
Greets! TOM from Recklinghausen
What a talent! It would be great to hear something from her, to know that she is doing well. Singer song writer artists always seem to produce soulful, heart renching music. Sorry she isn’t doing anything in music, I just hope and pray she is happy doing whatever it is she is doing.
Debra
Brooklyn, NY
I am looking for Sade too. In fact I just posted about her being missing in action yesterday. She never really seemed to care much about the limelight or making album after album. To date she only has six albums and one of them is a “best of”. She has sold well over 50 million albums and I just wonder why she has foresaken her fans so to speak.
My Top 10 Sade Songs
1. Cherish the Day (Love Deluxe)
2. Is It A Crime (Promise)
3. Smooth Operator (Diamond Life)
4. Cherry Pie (Diamond Life)
5. Keep Looking (Stronger Than Pride)
6. War of the Hearts (Promise)
7. Haunt Me (Stronger Than Pride)
8. Mr. Wrong (Promise)
9. Paradise (Stronger Than Pride)
10. Feel No Pain (Love Deluxe)
Helen Folasade Adu “Sade” has touched me in so many ways. Her songs and emphasis on her music has literally saved my life. Once in a depression state, her music and her words revived me.
To this day, her words carry me throughout my life, as her songs seem so factual.
One day I might get the chance to just talk to her, to know her.
God Bless Sade
Tony
ATL/Anguilla/Jamaica
I just Google’d “Where is Sade?” and up your post came, link #3. Not so unusual, but what IS funny is that I also like to pick at a guitar once in a while and imagine that I will get good at playing, but that the only times I felt I had some hope at sounding good someday were when I tried to play along to the Love Deluxe album! How weird is that?! I wonder what it is about their music?
Anyway, important point being: “We miss you, Sade! But do as you see fit and we wish you all the best. Much love, us.”
Hi Tom.
That’s what I love so much about blogging: Finding other people with similar interests…
Sade’s music is simple, yet so very soulful to listen and play along to. Thanks so much for you comment. Please visit again!
-tbb
I heard she is going on tour 2008/2009 is this true??
I have read it a couple of times!!
But I haven’t been able to find what places she is going on tour…
please let me know.
I wanna surprise my hubby… and take him to see Sade!!
been thinking about this talented, one of a kind artist
she sure was something special, been out of the
music scene for what seems an eternity, she most
likely is sickened by what passes as musical excellence these days, its no wonder she wants
nothing to do with mass producing hits but it also
is a shame, she has so many fans that just love
her stuff. It would be nice to hear some new stuff
in some form in the future. Loved her voice, I also
loved Tanita Tikaram’s vocals as well, ( someone mentioned Tanita in an earlier comment, different
styles but Tanita burst out in the last 80’s with
such a distinctive voice and great songs as well, miss them both. Its sad to see whats happening to Sade’s
myspace page, so disrespectful but doesn’t surprise
me these days, no class.
Hi everybody… Sade is my number one singer, have all the records and DVDs, love her music… she is my platonic love of all my live… hope the tour became a reality… greetings from Caracas, Venezuela to all of you. (sorry for my english)
Hello Hugo. Glad you stop by … And thank you all for your recent comments on this post…. There sure are alot of rumours regarding a Sade tour. I haven’t heard anything offical regarding a tour of any kind. But if I do, you’ll be the first to know.
Keep up the comments! You just never know who might be paying attention.
Sade - I am not sure what your doing, but you need to get back in tour…I’ve seen so many and been all over…you are something to behold and listen to LIVE!… miss you and hope you are well and come an see your fans.
I miss new material from Sade. I don’t think she needs us as much as we think we need her. I hope that I get a few more new CDs 2 listen 2 and I hope to see her perform live again. I would hate to think 2001 was it! If you have not listened to it recently, treat yourself to “Diamond Life” again. The total album is brilliant. What a talent. “Sade, come back!”