Thursday, June 04, 2009

The Church of Sade


Those of you who have read my blog, know that I write about everything under the sun. Anything from music (Hip-Hop in particular), whatever crass, usually highly insulting to my senses movie that comes out (usually an Eddie Murphy movie), to fasting, the challenges of living a spiritual life in an urban jungle and the Marriage Industrial Complex. I even penned an open letter to then Senator Barack H. Obama in which I addressed the nonsense spreading across the net about him not being "Black" enough. My topics are as varied as my thoughts...challenging popular public opinion and often dissecting and digging deep and going where others fear to tread.

Well, when the news hit the airwaves two days ago, and it was reported by Reuters that Folasade Adu, known to the world simply as "Sade," was in the studio recording another album after a 10 year hiatus, folks from New York, Dubai, Liberia and the UK hit up my Facebook page with shouts of "Amen"! "Hallelujah", "Thank you Lord" and "Finally"! The Church of Sade was in session and in full effect. It made me realize how hungry, and in need of her particular brand of soulful, heartfelt and melancholy song, that many of have missed over the years.

No disrespect to Beyonce, Rihanna and Ciara, but chickas, think about taking a 10 year hiatus and all that comes to mind is the line from KRS-One-"Do you ever think about when you outta here?" "Record deal, fresh gear, fly video, then you outta here!" You ladies simply, by virtue of the quality(or lack thereof) and quantity of your songs, would not be able to return after 10 yrs and capture the hearts, minds and souls of generations of folk, and illicit the same type of down home church praises, as the half Nigerian, half English chanteuse that we lovingly know as Sade.

It has been 10 years and believe you me, Sade will pack whatever venue she chooses to perfrom at. Sade seems to understand what the younger generation of divas do not--Less is more. Leave people with a positive imprint of your music and song. Go home, raise your children. Eat well, live, laugh, love, mourn, pray, cry and do you. Then come back to a an audience, yearning and eager to partake of your ministry and sing along with you.

This is no ordinary love...

We love you Sade and thank goodness you are back to show them how it's done!