With few more days to the first-ever edition of AfroPunk Joburg, fans just got hit with some sad news.
American Singer – Solange Knowles who was part of the headline acts, won’t be performing anymore at the festival. AfroPunk put out the announcement on Wednesday evening to let the fans know that Solange is going through some severe health struggles – which will make it impossible for her to be part of the festival.
Statement from AfroPunk:
It is with great concern that AFROPUNK received today the sudden news of Solange’s severe health struggles . “We would like to thank Solange for her ongoing support, and for sharing this year with us at AFROPUNK festivals around the world. It is incredibly important to those of us at AFROPUNK that she recovers and remains in good health. Her music and spirit has been a place of great comfort and inspiration to us as a community. And of course we are incredibly saddened that she will no longer be performing at the inaugural AFROPUNK Joburg this weekend,” said AFROPUNK co-founder Matthew Morgan.
“We at AFROPUNK would like to deeply apologise to all festival-goers and ticket-holders, but the circumstances of this news are completely out of AFROPUNK’s control. Solange was greatly looking forward to being a part of this historic occasion, and as her statement makes clear, she has vowed to come back to Johannesburg with AFROPUNK at a later date,” said Morgan. “Despite this very sad news, AFROPUNK Joburg continues to look forward to welcoming many of the world’s finest artists, creatives and music fans to Joburg’s Constitution Hill on the 30th and 31st of December.
Statement from SOLANGE:
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 Afro Punk 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 Afro Punk 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.”
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