Emeli Sandé was born and raised in Alford, Scotland.
Sandé's parents are Zimbabwean immigrants to Scotland, and though she says she's not religious, there is certainly some heavy Protestant influence in her background and life. Zimbabwe, as a former British colony, is still dominated by the Anglican Church[1] and by moving to the United Kingdom, Sandé jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. But echoing the secular sentiments of a young British generation, Sandé said:
I definitely believe in God and I believe in heaven, although I don't follow religion.[2]
Despite being a secular Brit, Sandé's music contains some religious themes, particularly her song "Heaven," where she sings about the difficulties of being a good person:
Oh heaven, oh heaven/I wake with good intentions/But the day it always lasts too long.[3]
Moreover, Sandé credits much of her music, particularly the songs on her album, Our Version of Events, to religious conversations she's had with friends and colleagues.[4]
Politics of love
Sandé hasn't officially weighed-in on any political issues that I can find, but I would submit that if she did, she'd side with Britain's Labour Party–that being the one of the working class and the downtrodden–at least in theory. Perhaps echoing the sentiments of British social welfare supporters, Sandé has said:
It would be sad if we lost our instinct and our courage to love and protect.[5]
And if she's not explicitly a liberal, she's tolerant enough to hire a gay man to bake her wedding cake.[6] But I speculate. Maybe he's just the best in the business–or the only one she could find. But it wouldn't be surprising. Sandé appears to be a rather tolerant individual. She once said:
I want to speak for people that may not feel like they're being spoken for at the moment.[7]
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