I first discovered Sade when I was in the fifth grade. While she was singing no ordinary love and my head I was thinking this is a artist with a no ordinary voice. That beautiful low alto voice was so sweet and calming, but at the same time you could feel her emotions through her music. After doing my research on her I discovered she’s been out as an artist since the early eighties.

Artist Name: Helen Folasade Adu, OBE

Date of Birth: 01.16.1959

Stage Name: Sade (pronounced shah-day)

Sade was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. She has a rich multicultural background, her father a Nigerian lecturer of Yoruba background and her mother an English nurse. Due to her parents separating her mother returned to Calcton-on-Sea, England. Growing up in Colchester, Essex Sade developed her interest in dancing, fashion and listening to soul music artist like Marvin Gaye just to be an example. Sade worked as a model and fashion designer for several years, and was involved in designing outfits that Spandau Ballet wore on their first American tour.

Later on she joined a group which name them selves “Sade”. In the 1980, 1990 and 2000 they reached success putting them and different genres of music like jazz, soul, R&B, soft rock, quiet storm. Sade is the only women in the band. To be honest I love every single song but my favorite album is “Lovers Rock”.

In 1981, Sade joined Pride, an eight-person funk band, starting as a background singer but eventually being featured more prominently. When offered a record contract, she took three members of Pride with her. They formed a new band, also called Sade, and she convinced the record company that they could not sign Sade the singer without signing Sade the band -- guitarist/saxophonist Stuart Matthewman, keyboardist Andrew Hale, and bassist Paul Denman. Sade's first album, Diamond Life, included "Smooth Operator", which stayed on American charts a phenomenal 81 weeks. Sade's later hits have included "Paradise", "Nothing Can Come Between Us", and "Keep Looking", "The Sweetest Taboo", "Hang on to Your Love", "No Ordinary Love", and "Pearls".

Sade the singer stayed out of the limelight for a few years after her daughter was born in 1996. In 1998, she was charged with reckless driving in Jamaica. Sade's three bandmates have performed and recorded without Sade as Sweetback.

And now for the exciting news her new album titled “Soldier of Love” will be released world wide on February 8, 2010. I can’t wait to review her album. At her age of fifty she is a walking example of “Age ain’t nothing but a number”. As long as you have the passion and drive to continue singing beautiful music age doesn’t exist.

Father: Adebisi "Bisi" Abu(economics professor)

Mother: Anne Hayes (nurse)

Brother: Banji Abu

Husband: Carlos Scola (Spanish filmmaker, Ngira, m. 11-Feb-1989, div.)

Boyfriend: Bob Morgan (music producer)

Daughter: Ila Morgan (21-Jul-1996)

www.sade2009.com, www.nndb.com

Discography of Sade

1984: Diamond Life

1985: Promise

1988: Stronger Than Pride

1992: Love Deluxe

1992: Remix Deluxe

1994: The Best of Sade

2000: Lovers Rock

2002: Lovers Live

2010: Soldier of Love