British singer-songwriter Emili Sandé, born Adele Emily Sandé (March 10, 1987), typifies a modern day resurrection of the soul-music genre of Aretha Franklin back before the Detroit Motown sound was steamrolled by Laurel Canyon acid rock. It’s heartfelt music that has been sorely missing.
Read “Laurel Canyon: Military Intelligence Family Backgrounds of the Iconic 60s Counterculture Rock Stars”
Sandé was born in Sunderland to an English mother and Zambian father. She attended school at Scotland’s Alford Academy, where her father was a teacher.
“And Dad was strict, let me tell you,” she said in an interview. “I hated to be ill and to miss a day because I was so hungry to learn. I was very shy, nerdy and extremely well-behaved.”
Sandé showed potential as a songwriter and composer in her teen years.
According to Wikipedia, Choice FM invited the 15-year-old Sandé to London to take part in their “Rapology” competition.
Richard Blackwood also had her down to MTV’s Camden studios to sing gospel.
By the time she reached the age of 16, she had a recording deal with Telstar within reach. However, understanding the opportunity that the university could also offer her, she turned down the deal. She studied medicine instead.
Emeli enrolled in a five-year MBChB course at the University of Glasgow but left after obtaining a degree in neuroscience.
Her music breakthrough came in 2012 with — one of my personal favorites — “Read All About It.” The lyrics should be the anthem for Winter Watchers.
You’ve got the words to change a nation
But you’re biting your tongue
You’ve spent a life time stuck in silence
Afraid you’ll say something wrong
If no one ever hears it how we gonna learn your song?
So come on, come on
Come on, come on
You’ve got a heart as loud as lions
So why let your voice be tamed?
Maybe we’re a little different
There’s no need to be ashamed
You’ve got the light to fight the shadows
So stop hiding it away
Come on, come on
I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna scream ’til the words dry out
So put it in all of the papers,
I’m not afraid
They can read all about it
Read all about it, oh
Sandé sings richly melodic, classically powerful, soul-pop songs but with a retro-futurist twist.
Her appearance is always majestic, like a queen. I am usually indifferent to pop icons, but I make a big exception her, as I am taken with her.
There are never demonic or satanic aspects in any of her videos which are generally aspirational and spiritual. The lyrics transmute positivism — but without the clown-world mind-control messaging of the Hollyweird pop icons.
She embodies a natural style and projects an unselfish soul.
Sandé said that all of her songs were about world peace.
The songs track her journey from trauma (Hurts) to solitude (Lonely) and recovery (Highs and Lows).
Her new album, “Long Live The Angels,” dives head first into spirituality and belief. And we get the classic soul choir as an add on.
“Shine and Heaven” are rousing gospel anthems.
Sandé is also one of the faces of Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, an effort to create awareness and funding for the fight against breast cancer.
More recently, she helped launch a program of her own called Community Clavinova, a nationwide opportunity for organizations of many kinds to receive free Clavinova pianos through the partnership of Sandé and Yamaha UK.
You’re going all soft and gooey Russ, what’s going on???! 🙂