With every smile
With every look
With every caress
I am drawn to the water
Drinking your kiss
The light of your face
The light of your body
To love you is a prayer
It is the song of the mute
The vision of the blind
A secret, naked
I give myself to your arms
With fear and with calm
And a prayer on my lips
And a prayer in my soul
– Lhasa de Sela, “Con Toda Palabra” (English translation mine)
I am absolutely gutted to learn this morning that the singer Lhasa de Sela died last weekend at the age of 37 after a two-year struggle with breast cancer. Her website has the official statement from her press agent.
I first learned about this talented artist around the time of the release of her second album, “The Living Road”, and the song “Con Toda Palabra” (as seen above). Her voice has a darkly dreamy quality to it, enchanting and rough in a way that spoke of intense desires and emotions. Her fame wasn’t huge, but her appeal was definitely on the upswing, only to be derailed by her illness. A third album came out last year, but an international tour had to be cancelled as her health deteriorated.
At the moment, it’s hard for me to watch this video without shedding tears, but I hope you’ll take a moment to appreciate this woman’s immense talent and join me in wishing her peace.
