-800x600.jpg)
Eight years now... where does the time go?
Aaliyah was on the cusp of greatness - and just like that...gone.
My friend, Chris, used to be her tutor when she attended the Detroit High School for the Performing Arts back in my hometown. And she was your typical home girl from the Motor City. People will say what they will about where I come from, but they just don't understand. So many talented people come from there. It truly is a special place with special people who seem to capture an essence about them for talents in the arts, business and industry - to name a few.
She was simple, young, beautiful - and now, I will say, iconic in a way.
I never thought I would say that about Aaliyah, but after seeing the emergence of so many young R&B singers that have followed her these past eight years; one could say her impact has been large, but subtle. Her fashion sense at such a young age, her use of special effects and live animals in her videos and stage act, her makeup, the way she carried herself and her talent all went away that fateful night in August.
I remember when I first heard the news. I called Chris immediately and could tell he already knew. He was devastated. This wasn't a teacher, he was her tutor. That sort of set up is very in your face and very hands on. She was your typical teenager coming up in her high school years. She was already so established in both life and love, her career was already in full gear, yet she had the same aspirations and a willingness to let go and dream - just like any other school girl her age.
Then...poof...the essence of time during our brief lives is but a speck of dust, a mere spot on history's horizon...
Aaliyah left her mark on that horizon. Especially with her last studio album, the self-titled release that came out shortly before her untimely death. Of course, like a lot of music fans in general, I scooped up my copy the first day it came out and listened to it immediately. After her death... tears were shed, as I listened to this brilliant, brilliant artist who was only just 'becoming' and so talented. She had just about any kind of music style/genre packed into that one disc. I can't even begin to imagine what more she would have done, or how much she would have evolved as an artist.
What I do know...and what I reflect on is that she was - and still is - loved by so many. Her music, her fashion, her style and grace...touched many people and made her a role model for many a young girl; no matter their race, religion, where they come from, rich or poor... Aaliyah was old enough to know better, but still had that essence of youth that will always remain.
She will always be beautiful.
She will always be a trendsetter.
She will always have pushed the envelope.
She is an icon now; I can see that.
May she rest in peace, and if you haven't already - get a copy of Aaliyah from 2001 and be simply, very simply: entertained!
-
More info on the album referred to here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaliyah_(album))
Aaliyah was on the cusp of greatness - and just like that...gone.
My friend, Chris, used to be her tutor when she attended the Detroit High School for the Performing Arts back in my hometown. And she was your typical home girl from the Motor City. People will say what they will about where I come from, but they just don't understand. So many talented people come from there. It truly is a special place with special people who seem to capture an essence about them for talents in the arts, business and industry - to name a few.
She was simple, young, beautiful - and now, I will say, iconic in a way.
I never thought I would say that about Aaliyah, but after seeing the emergence of so many young R&B singers that have followed her these past eight years; one could say her impact has been large, but subtle. Her fashion sense at such a young age, her use of special effects and live animals in her videos and stage act, her makeup, the way she carried herself and her talent all went away that fateful night in August.
I remember when I first heard the news. I called Chris immediately and could tell he already knew. He was devastated. This wasn't a teacher, he was her tutor. That sort of set up is very in your face and very hands on. She was your typical teenager coming up in her high school years. She was already so established in both life and love, her career was already in full gear, yet she had the same aspirations and a willingness to let go and dream - just like any other school girl her age.
Then...poof...the essence of time during our brief lives is but a speck of dust, a mere spot on history's horizon...
Aaliyah left her mark on that horizon. Especially with her last studio album, the self-titled release that came out shortly before her untimely death. Of course, like a lot of music fans in general, I scooped up my copy the first day it came out and listened to it immediately. After her death... tears were shed, as I listened to this brilliant, brilliant artist who was only just 'becoming' and so talented. She had just about any kind of music style/genre packed into that one disc. I can't even begin to imagine what more she would have done, or how much she would have evolved as an artist.
What I do know...and what I reflect on is that she was - and still is - loved by so many. Her music, her fashion, her style and grace...touched many people and made her a role model for many a young girl; no matter their race, religion, where they come from, rich or poor... Aaliyah was old enough to know better, but still had that essence of youth that will always remain.
She will always be beautiful.
She will always be a trendsetter.
She will always have pushed the envelope.
She is an icon now; I can see that.
May she rest in peace, and if you haven't already - get a copy of Aaliyah from 2001 and be simply, very simply: entertained!
-
More info on the album referred to here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaliyah_(album))
No comments:
Post a Comment