Multi-Grammy Award-winning Nigerian-British singer Helen Folasade Adu (born January 16, 1959), known professionally as Sade Adu, is known for her sophisticated blend of soul, funk, jazz, and Afro-Cuban rhythms. It was during the 1980s and early '90s that she enjoyed wide critical acclaim and popularity.
Adu, who was born to a Nigerian economist and an English nurse, was often addressed by her English first name, Helen.
Folasade is the shortened form of her Yoruba middle name Sade.
She moved with her mother and younger brother to Essex, England, when she was four years old.
Her first foray into music began when she volunteered to fill in as lead singer for Arriva, a funk band her friends had formed. Soon after, she formed her own band.
Sade, along with her band, won a Grammy Award for best new artist in 1984 after their debut album, Diamond Life, produced two great hits, "Your Love is King" and "Smooth Operator".
A year later, they released "Promise". It achieved multiple platinum certifications in the US and Europe and stayed on the Billboard 200.
After the birth of her child, she went on hiatus after the release of "Stronger Than Pride" in 1988 and "Love Deluxe" in 1992.
In 1986, she landed a role in "Absolute Beginners" and in 2000, she released "Lovers Rock".
“Lover’s Rock” was unlike her jazz style. It took on a pop sound and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album.
In 2002, she was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire(OBE). In 2010, the group released “Soldier of Love” and it got the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
In 2018, she did the soundtrack “Flower of the Universe” for Disney’s 2018 film A Wrinkle in Time.
Sade has not appeared on stage in a very long time, and it is thought that she has essentially retired to her house in the English countryside of Gloucestershire.
