India.Arie: A Sista in the Spirit

Years ago, my dear friend Tanya was early in her medical residency, and had been a part of an emergency room team trying to save a man’s life; she felt his spirit leave his body. I think, as well, of my dear friend Gail, who christened me her “sista in the spirit” a year before she passed away ten years ago at the age of 34. I remember both occurrences now as I think about what it means to encounter someone’s spirit. For, even those who don’t subscribe to a belief in the independent life of the spirit recognize that there is something inside of each of us that holds our emotions, informs our philosophy, shapes our personality, and makes us who we…even as we grow, mature, and, eventually, die.

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to encounter a very generous, talented, and wise spirit in the form of India.Arie. Ever since my first knowledge of her with her debut album Acoustic Soul, I have been a fan. (It’s why I felt moved to reference her in A Love Noire and again in Hunger; it was my small way of thanking her for her rich and evocative music.) Saturday was not the first time I had seen her live in concert, I had that pleasure twice prior: once with the release of Voyage to India, and the second time on the cusp of the release of Testimony Vol. 1, Life & Relationship. Both concerts were beautiful musical experiences that I treasure.

But this time at her New York City concert, I felt something more: from the voice so honest and the lyrics that just seemed to wash me clean. I squeezed Kevin, my husband, sitting beside me and he smiled in return. He felt it, too. Something big was happening.

It was the music, the songs, to be sure: “Wings of Forgiveness,” “I Am Not My Hair,” “Private Party,” along with her classic “Brown Skin” among many others. But it was her spirit—that part of a person that you feel rather than see—that permeated the space. It beckoned to each of us from our place along life’s journey and encouraged us be our best selves. As I sat there, I recognized a sista spirit in India.Arie.

I first encountered it when I received her email on the eve of Hunger’s launch saying how much she was enjoying the book. I was incredulous…and humbled. As a writer, I hope that the stories I weave resonate with my readers and offer them entertainment, encouragement, insight, and healing. So when I hear from any reader, it’s a gratifying experience, indeed. For me, India.Arie models the transformative possibilities of one’s art, something I strive for in my writing. So her compliments were a powerful affirmation for me that arrived at an auspicious moment in my own career.

It was meeting her after the Saturday concert—one spirit to another—that highlighted for me, once again, that life’s blessings often come in the form of people. India, the gifts of your spirit have touched me. Thank you for your generosity and for being courageous enough to be yourself: a beautiful black woman fearfully and wonderfully made who is touching life with her whole hand….