Sade is a female artist.
Helen Folasade Adu , OBE ( Fọláṣadé Adú [ fɔ̄láʃādé ādú ] born 16 January 1959 ) , known professionally as Sade Adu or simply Sade ( [ ʃɑːˈdeɪ ] ) , is a Nigerian-born British singer-songwriter , composer , arranger , and record producer . With members Paul S. Denman , Andrew Hale , and Stuart Matthewman , she gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the English band Sade . Growing attention from record labels led her , along with other fellow band members , to separate from Pride and form the band Sade . Sade would later go on to make her acting debut in the British film , Absolute Beginners ( 1986 ) , before the release of the band 's albums , Stronger Than Pride ( 1988 ) and Love Deluxe ( 1992 ) . In 2002 , Adu was awarded an OBE for services to music , and stated her award was `` a great gesture to me and all black women in England '' .