ZAMBIAN BORN BRITISH SINGER EMELI SANDE BREAKS ‘THE BEATLES’ 50 YEAR RECORD

Zambian Born Scottish Singer Emeli Sandé has broken a 50 year music chart record for ‘the debut album to spend more consecutive weeks in the top 10 UK’s biggest-selling records’. Her record breaking debut album “Our Version of Events” has just entered its 63rd week among the UK’s biggest-selling records more than any other album since ‘The Beatles’ “Please Please Me,” album which spent 62 weeks in the top 10 in 1963 and 1964.

The Announcement was made on Monday April 29, 2013 by UK’s ‘Official Charts Company.

Until this week, The Beatles had held this record for 50 years. Following the News, Emeli Sande is quoted as saying: “It feels quite surreal to even have your name mentioned in the same sentence as The Beatles”.

In an interview with the Official Charts Company’ Emeli also said:  “I’m completely lost for words and this is something I could only have dreamed of. The Beatles are the greatest band of all time and their legacy lives on and continues to inspire all of us that make music. I’m so happy that so many people have connected with the stories and the songs on the record; this really is our version of events now. I’d like to say thank you to everyone that has bought, played or shared my music in the last year, without your support this would never have been possible.”

Her debut album “Our Version of Events” was released in February 2012. The release brought several successes for 26-year Emeli Sandé. Prominent among them was Sandé’s  performance at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympic, her winning of ‘best British female artist’ and ‘best album’ at the BRIT Awards just to name a few.

The Soul & R&B singer/songwriter who started her music carrier in 2008 also won three No. 1 singles in the United Kingdom with the songs: “Read All about It” with Professor Green, “Next to Me”, and “Beneath Your Beautiful”… a collaboration with Labyrinth.

Emeli Sandé was born in Sunderland, North East England to a Zambian father (who studied in the U.K) and an English mother on 10 March 1987. She moved with her parents to Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland when she was four. Her last name “Sandé”…a Zambian name, came from her father.

In an Exclusive interview with AfriPOP, she reveals that her dad’s Zambian culture was a major part of her life…in the music her dad would play, the stories he would tell and definitely the emphasis on education. These she said made her very connected to Africa. Emeli also added that since childhood, she has maintained communication and contact with her African cousins.  

Asked if she might want to go back to Africa, she replied: “I’d love to. I’m trying to”. About sharing both European and African cultures, the singer explained that she has been lucky: “I’ve always been embraced by them (British family) and they always supported my music and my education. And my family in Zambia is just so excited that I’m kind of waving the flag for them so I’ve always had just so much support and love from them”.

Emeli Sandé is also a former medical student who studied Medicine at the University of Glasgow, but stopped in her fourth year.