"When everything is finished in a world, the people go to look for what the artists leave. It's the only thing that we have really in this world -- is an ability to express ourselves and say, "I was here."
Jazz Legend, activist, beauty, and icon Abbey Lincoln passed on yesterday.
I am deeply saddened by her loss despite not knowing her personally. My sadness is because of what she represents to me. Beauty, sophistication, boldness, genius, resilience. And her sound! Wow! What a sound! A sound that resonates within our collective consciousness as she called us back to our Source.
While beautiful in her own right, she lent her spirit to inspiring us to fight the ugliness of racism and Jim Crow during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
When she called for Bleek to practice his trumpet in Spike Lee's Mo Betta Blues, she reminded me of my own mother whose shrill voice was always full of good intention and tired from sacrifices.
Who will carry on her work? Who will keep pushing the boundaries of this art that has our history in it?
If we are happy with what we are producing as a people now? What will we be leaving behind?
Ashe' Abbey Lincoln
She has a wonderful voice. As to who will continue in her footsteps, probably have to look underground to find those artists...
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