Beauty, Power & Grace – An Ode to Aretha

Reflecting on the soundtrack to our lives, Aretha was an anchor playing in mine. To me, she was Our Lady of Soul.

A break-up, declaring oneself, a liberating moment, all sealed with Aretha belting out R-E-S-P-E-C-T.  A song that has become a familiar worldwide chant of empowerment, ‘I Say A Little Prayer,’ ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’ and ‘Until You Come Back To Me.’ Not to mention her brilliant rendition of ‘I Will Survive.’ Songs that speak to vulnerability and strength, to how broken we are and how resilient we can become. Tragedy and triumph. Elements that not only defined her life but allowed others to identify with their own. Simply put, they were universal, and that’s what true Greatness is.

She was the Queen of Soul and Gospel, but also the Queen of music. To me, she was the Queen of Everything. She provided a voice of inspiration to the narrative of our lives. I’ve never met her, but I listened to her through my 45’s which turned into albums, followed by cassettes and then 8-tracks, into CD’s and finally streaming. Though the medium changed over the decades, the message remained the same. Powerful and authentic. Like meditation or prayer. Timeless. She was a major artery within the medium of music, historically and otherwise. I reached for her lovely voice through my highs and lows or to stay aligned in my day to day life. She got me standing and moving when I got stuck. Thank you, Aretha.

She was a black woman during a time that wasn’t kind to her and she made her mark not with force but with Beauty, Power and Grace. She had style, humanity, compassion and above all, she had a gift, a voice that echoed into the chambers of all of our hearts. We were rendered powerless when she sang; her gift was that great. She was just one, but what an indomitable spirit. She has demonstrated to us the capability that resides in each of us, and I love her for that. She knew who she was, what she had and how to honour that. Her voice bellowed with commanding intention and rattled me back into shape whenever I needed it the most. I will be eternally grateful to her. Her music was my inspiration, her energy, disposition and achievement, a testimony of something we can all aspire to become. She was a great and powerful woman, who, like the rest of us had to exercise strength and courage in her life.

I am fortunate to have grown up at a time where I could bear witness to such a talented artist. Even though she might have appeared to be over there, I had access to bring her music over here, into my life, and let it echo in the deepest abyss of my soul. She was deserving of the title the Queen of Soul because that was who she was and will always be. Her songs spoke to the invincible spirit, and they resonated with women. She sang to one’s vulnerability as much as to their strength. They were honest and reflected our weaknesses as they contrasted our possibilities, and all we had to do to access that message was press play. She was always there. Presidents asked her to perform at their inaugural ceremonies, she sang at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s memorial and the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame wouldn’t be complete without the ‘Mother of Soul’ anchored deep within that institution.

It makes me smile to know that I have had the enduring influence of Aretha’s Beauty, Power and Grace sachet and weave its way into the narrative of my life with the poignancy and Grace that made her who she was – Remarkable.

Her most significant success was for something that there exists no recognition for and deems her most stunning achievement. That is how she brought unity to this planet through her music and her voice. Respect.

Look after her God; she did you proud.