Tina Turner: The Legend, The Icon

Tina Turner, the Queen of Rock and Roll, has passed away.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner. With her music and boundless passion for life, she enchanted fans worldwide and inspired future stars. We say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us her greatest work; her music. Tina, we will miss you dearly. pic.twitter.com/8SihpxMe14

— TinaTurner (@tinaturner) May 24, 2023

I obviously did not know Tina personally so her passing didn't affect me in the same way the recent losses of my grandmother and my cousins did. Still, it had a profound effect on me because I looked up to Tina on so many levels. She was an unparalleled performer. Her voice was strong, unique, and powerful. When she danced on stage, her joy was unbridled and infectious and everyone watching her could feel it. She connected with audiences in a way that only authentic artists can. Her presence demanded attention and her energy was off-the-charts. Even later in her career, Tina was an absolute force. Here is one of my favorite performances of hers from Wembley in 2000. She was 60 at this time!

What makes all this even more amazing is the fact that Tina didn't do drugs or alcohol. She talked about it when she accepted an Essence Award in 1993. What you saw on stage was her through and through. She was truly peerless and fearless! I still can't believe that in one of her concerts, she ran across an elevated walkway seemingly without a harness and in high heels! Check it out here. Also, one of her most iconic photos was this one, taken by Peter Lindbergh at the Eiffel Tower. Wow!

Tina Turner hanging off the Eiffel Tower.

One of Peter Lindbergh’s most iconic photographs. pic.twitter.com/TzkhHadVpX

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) May 24, 2023

As if all that wasn't enough, I find it truly inspiring how she overcame personal tragedy that threatened her life and well-being. Tina suffered abuse from her then-husband Ike Turner. How she managed to perform spectacularly while being a victim of domestic violence is beyond me. She eventually saved herself from that abusive relationship. She left the marriage with nothing - no money, no royalties - except her stage name (her real name is Anna Mae Bullock) and from there, she started again. Despite losing everything she had financially prior to her divorce from Ike, she managed to build a spectacular career that spanned decades. Tina's life story was made into a movie aptly entitled "What's Love Got to Do with It" that starred Angela Bassett and there is a powerful and heart-rending scene there that dramatizes how Tina left Ike. You can watch it here.

One of my regrets is that I never got to watch her perform live. Thankfully, there are countless videos of amazing Tina Turner performances, songs, and interviews that will allow me to continue appreciating her immense talent and be entertained by her even now that she's gone. Rest in peace, Tina Turner!

Rest in Peace, Via

2023 hasn't been an easy time for my family. A couple of months ago, I lost my cousin Maricel. Earlier this month, I lost Nanay. Now, I lost another cousin, Via.

Via moved to the US a long time ago and it's been a while since I got to see her. Sadly, she got sick. I found out about her illness only a few days before she passed away. At that time, we knew she didn't have a lot of time left so some of my relatives here in the Philippines were trying to figure out if anyone could fly to the US to be with her. Sadly, no one was able to go. Thankfully, my cousin was with her partner who loved her very much. He and his family took very care of Via and stayed with her until the end.

I come from a very big extended family and the great thing about it is that you have a lot of love in your life. Sadly, of course, as I get older, I start losing more people in my life. Via was not many years older than me so it fills me with grief to know that she is no longer with us. But at least I know she felt loved and she was surrounded by people who cared for her very deeply.

Rest in Peace, my dear cousin Via. We love you and we miss you.

Rest in Peace, Nanay

It's a very sad time for my family. My grandmother Nanay passed away.

It started a short while back. She had been feeling under the weather for a few days so I took her to the hospital for some tests. At that time, she was still able to walk. Despite the prescribed medication, she continued to be be sick so my family took her to the hospital where she was confined. Once her vitals got better, my family took her home. Unfortunately, once she was out of the hospital, her condition rapidly worsened. After a few days at home, we had to bring her back to the hospital. Her condition fluctuated while she was there - some days it was good, others it wasn't - and unfortunately for us, after some time, she passed away.

What is really sad to me is that she seemed to be doing fine up until she got sick. In fact, in the last year, she joined several get-togethers, some of them quite far from where we live. Since August 2022, she attended three family reunions, six birthday celebrations, a wedding, a memorial, and a Christmas celebration at my aunt's house. Even before the pandemic, Nanay would often decline invites because she found it too tiring to leave home so it was a very pleasant surprise that she started going out again. In that period of time, she got to see many of our relatives that she hadn't seen in years. She also got to catch up face-to-face with one of her dear friends. I thought that we would have many more opportunities to take Nanay out, especially since she could still walk. Sadly, that won't happen anymore.

That said, it was about as good a way to go as any. Nanay was 96 years old, a really good age, and she got to reconnect with many of the most important people in her life in her last year with us. Even at the hospital, there were a couple of days where she got a bit stronger. She even started to have cravings despite having no appetite for a few weeks. I got her Haagen-Dazs strawberry ice cream because that was her favorite flavor and she was able to enjoy it. Many of us were with her at the hospital hours before her last breath and we got to talk to her while we were there. I'm happy that she was surrounded by family before she passed on.

It hasn't been that long since we lost her but things have definitely not been the same. I miss our conversations and how sharp her memory continued to be. I miss bringing her favorite food whenever I would visit. I miss watching movies and shows with her on Sunday afternoons. I miss playing her favorite music in the car whenever I drove her. I also miss taking her to visit my grandfather and other relatives at the cemetery and praying for them every week until Nanay didn't have the energy to do that anymore. However, I am thankful that Nanay had a great life and that she is now free from pain and discomfort.

Rest in Peace, Nanay. We love you!