Composer, pianist, and director Samora Pinderhughes recently called on good friend Lalah Hathaway for a live performance of “For Those Lost” at The Kennedy Center. The not yet recorded song was written by Pinderhughes and pays tribute to Sandra Bland, an African-American woman, who was killed while in police custody.
Says Pinderhughes on writing the song: “After Sandra Bland died, there was a trending topic on Twitter with folks saying #IfIDieInPoliceCustody, basically telling people not to trust the system if they end up being imprisoned or killed. I started from that idea — what would Sandra Bland want to tell people about what happened that day, if she were still alive?”
On working with Lalah Hathaway: “I connected with Lalah and wanted her to sing it because she is one of this world’s greatest singers and artists; her range as a singer is unlimited. I knew that she would bring the humanity, depth, intensity, and beauty that the song needed. She and I have spoken often about where we are as a country and what we need to do as artists to stand up for justice. I’m grateful that she chose to take on the song as her own.”
“For Those Lost” supports Pinderhughes’ debut protest music-driven project, The Transformations Suite, out now (buy).
Founder and Creator of Singersroom.com and IncredibleWork.com. Follow me on Instagram at @gary.gentles.
