People

By Guy D. Garcia

Her sultry voice and jazzy arrangements have led some to compare her with vocalists of a bygone era, but Sade, 26, cites instead such contemporary influences as Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson and Joni Mitchell. Whatever her sources, the Nigerian-born, English-bred singer has cut a unique groove for herself. Sade (pronounced Shar-day) saw her 1984 debut album, Diamond Life, go platinum while her second, Promise, is shooting up the charts, and her current eight-city U.S. tour is sold out. She has also been named one of the world's ten most elegant women by Elle magazine. Pretty good for someone who got into singing only to earn a few pounds while struggling to make it as a fashion designer.