Stevie Wonder and Lauryn Hill at the ceremony for Roberta Flack

A public ceremony was held in memory of the singer and pianist Roberta Flack, Winner of a Grammy who died last February 24 at 88 years old. During the celebration there was an performance by Stevie Wonder, a surprise visit by Lauryn Hill and a funeral praise of the reverend al Sharpton.

His celebration open to the public took place at the Abyssian Baptist Church in New York and broadcast live streaming on the artist’s website and on YouTube. The church was decorated for the ceremony with a screen in the center showing a young Flack on the piano and reproduced the highlights of his career. The place was not chosen at random: Flack grew up with Gospel and his mother played the organ at the Lomax African Methodist Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia. As a teenager he started accompanying the church choir on the piano.

On the occasion of the celebration, music stars such as Clive Davis, Dionne Warwick, India Arie, Peabo Bryson and Alicia Keys sent video messages to remember the extraordinary Flack career. Former vice -president Kamala Harris sent a statement that read: “Mrs. Flack knocked barriers, opened ways of opportunities and fully embodied the words that my mother often said to me: ‘You can be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last'”. As an activist and singer winner of a Grammy, his inheritance will continue to inspire generations to come “.

The actress Phylician Rashad recalled that she had seen Flack for the first time perform when she was a student from Howard University, in front of an audience kidnapped by her calm and firm voice.

The appearance of Lauryn hill It has been unexpected but appropriate. In the 90s, the Hip-Hop trio was part of Hill, i Fugeesthey played the cover of “Killing Me Softly With His Song” by Flack.

“His existence was a form of resistance,” Hill said, holding tears. “I love Roberta Flack,” he said. “Roberta Flack is a legend”. The Hill then performed a cover of “The first time Ever I Saw Your Face” followed by that of “Killing Me Softly With His Song” with Wyclef Jean of the Fugees – e Wonder He joined the harmonica.

Subsequently intervened Stevie Wonder. “The beautiful thing not to be able to see with the eyes is the great opportunity to be able to see even better with the heart. And so I understand how beautiful Roberta was, not seeing it visually but being able to see and feel her heart,” said Wonder. He performed his song “If It’s Magic”, then sat on the piano to sing with the harpist a song written for Flack, “I Can See the Sun in Late December”. “I love you, Roberta. And we’ll see us,” Wonder said in the end.

Previously, the singer -songwriter and interpreter Valerie Simpson He played the piano and sung a version of “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” interspersed with memories of the friend. “But that voice. He took you to the heart. And then, when he touched the keys, he knew how to dig in depth,” said Simpson.

Flack leaves behind a rich repertoire of music difficult to catalog. He will probably be remembered for his classics, including his dreamy cover of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, written by the English folk artist Ewan Maccoll for his wife Peggy Seger. The song was used in a love scene between Clint Eastwood and Donna Mills in the 1971 film “Play Misty for me” making Flack known to the general public. But his name is absolutely linked to “Killing me softly with his song”. The singer listened for the first time the song written by Lori Lieberman while he was by plane and fell in love with it immediately. On tour with Quincy Jones, Flack presented her cover of the song and the public also fell in love with it, as she did for decades.