Bilal Don Blackman Tribute 10/17/25

Описание: 🎶 Bilal Pays Tribute to the Legendary 🕊️Don Blackman🕊️ — “Since You Been Away So Long” 🎶
There are moments in music that feel spiritual where legacy, soul, and emotion meet in one breath.
That’s what happened when Bilal took the stage at City Winery NYC to perform “Since You Been Away So Long” during the 🕊️Don Blackman Tribute.
Backed by Irene Blackman and Shakar on background vocals, the performance was otherworldly. The harmonies were rich and haunting that kind of real soul that lives in between the notes. The audience could feel every word, every chord, every pulse of Don Blackman’s timeless composition.
Bilal’s delivery was electric his range, texture, and control transformed the stage into sacred space. He poured himself into every note, balancing pain and beauty the way only Bilal can. Irene’s tone added a celestial softness, while Shakar’s harmonies grounded the performance with warmth and depth. Together, they created a moment that was both nostalgic and transcendent a living conversation between past and present.
💫 Lyrical Breakdown “Since You Been Away So Long”
This song is one of Don Blackman’s most intimate pieces a meditation on longing, absence, and devotion. It’s a simple melody with deep emotional weight, and Bilal honored that beautifully.
1️⃣ Theme: Distance and Emotional Ache
“Since you been away so long / Now I’m out to find what’s wrong.”
These opening lines set the tone they’re not just about missing someone; they’re about searching for yourself in their absence. It’s the kind of lyric that lives in that quiet ache after loss, where love and loneliness blur.
Bilal’s voice cracked slightly on “find what’s wrong” not by accident, but by intention. It gave the lyric human texture, echoing Don’s ability to make heartbreak sound hopeful.
2️⃣ Vulnerability and Reflection
“Though I never felt so shy / Constantly you’re on my mind.”
This verse is deeply personal it captures that hesitation we all feel when love leaves. The shyness isn’t romantic; it’s grief made gentle. Bilal and the background vocalists repeated this phrase with quiet conviction, turning it into a chant of remembrance.
3️⃣ Hope Through Memory
“See you through a distant stare / Knowing that your love is near.”
This line feels like the heart of the song it’s about how love continues to live through memory. Even from a distance, the connection endures. Bilal’s phrasing made it sound ethereal, like he was singing through time itself.
4️⃣ Symbolism & Spiritual Imagery
“Twinkle, twinkle little star / Now your love is near, not far.”
Don Blackman always infused his songs with poetic symbolism and this line reflects his genius. The “little star” represents hope, light, and eternal connection. Irene’s background harmonies floated like stardust, soft and angelic, perfectly framing Bilal’s raspy intensity.
5️⃣ The Outro Catharsis Through Repetition
“Since you been away so long…”
The repetition at the end becomes almost spiritual part lament, part celebration. As the band played, Bilal, Irene, and Shakar turned the outro into a call-and-response, like a soul séance. The entire audience clapped along, carried by the rhythm and emotion. It wasn’t just a song anymore it was healing.
🌹 Final Reflection
Bilal’s tribute reminded everyone why Don Blackman’s music is eternal.
Where many chase perfection, Don and Bilal chase truth.
That night, their spirits met in sound timeless, fearless, and full of love.
Irene Blackman and Shakar were the heartbeat of that moment their harmonies were a conversation with history. Together, they turned “Since You Been Away So Long” into a living memory, a thank-you to the genius who inspired them all.
That performance wasn’t just a tribute it was communion. 🕊️
#Bilal #DonBlackmanTribute #fyp #legend