On the heels of what would’ve been a definitive performance, Solange revealed her battle with a nervous system disorder that has ultimately forced her to cancel her headlining performance at Afropunk Johannesburg. Obviously, Solange’s health is of most importance as a performer and her choosing to focus her goals of greater self-care in the New Year to come is a great way to start.
She took to Instagram to divulge her circumstances in a long comment/statement to her fans.
“Wrote, deleted and re wrote this like 5 times...
Still not sure what exactly or how much I want to share...
However it’s so important to me for the people in South Africa, a place that has tremendous meaning to me and that has given me SO SO MUCH, to know why I won’t be performing at AfroPunk this NYE.
The past five months I have been quietly treating, and working through an Autonomic Disorder. It been a journey that hasn’t been easy on me...
Sometimes I feel cool, and other times not so cool at all.
It’s a complicated diagnoses , and I’m still learning so much myself, but right now, my doctors are not clearing me for such an extended lengthy flight, and doing a rigorous show right after.
I can’t put into words how saddened and sorry I am that I am unable to perform for you guys this NYE, there is simply no other place I wanted to be than there with my family to bring in 2018 with you.......but I give you my ABSOLUTE WORD I will come back with AfroPunk and deliver this performance.....as it is so extremely important to me to connect with the people who have so closely inspired me in so many ways.
I can’t thank Afropunk enough for their support, and to all of the other festivals this past summer/fall who have known about my health, kept it confidential, and gone out of their way to make me feel supported while doing these shows.
As a part of the self care that I’ve tried to encourage this past year, it needs to start with myself, and I’m looking forward to doing a better job of this 2018.
This past year has been one of the most fulfilling of my life...
Performing this record and experiencing the energy exchange with you guys has been astounding, and I’m so excited about continuing to do the work I feel so absolutely humbled and appreciative to be doing next year. It gives me life.”
Solange’s boldly honest and personal caption is one of the reasons how social media can prevail positively; in not being just a tool for self-loathing, vanity overload and major identity breakdowns or crisis’. It can also prove to be a tool for honesty and healing that many people and fans like to see from their favorite celebrities; being “just like us” in some way. Society places celebrities on almost untouchable pedestals that makes them seem immortal or not human; when in all actuality they ALL are. They have faults and flaws just like the rest of us and though theirs can be placed in a bubble, social media can pop that bubble often and make reality, truth.
Solange’s illness (autonomic disorder) is something that over a million Americans suffer from through in varying ways and degrees from fatigue, dizziness to digestion issues, according to the New York Daily News. It affects your autonomic nervous system, which regulates your internal organs and most importantly bodily functions like digestion and your heart rate. Knowles has not confirmed the type of nervous system disorder she suffers from, but these disorders can most often be treated with medication.
In our digital age we can often forget that we all live very much human lives; “blood, bone and melanin” a quote Solange uses in her twitter bio. A true description of how all of us sometimes need to truly take care of our bodies, minds and souls for the greater good. We wish her the best in her recovery and good health to come.
