THE SKINNY
Music
Image: Courtesy of The SAY Award Heir of the Cursed performing at The SAY Award
December 2021 – Feature
A Heart Full Day Following the heartbreaking news of her passing on 5 November, we’ve brought together a collection of tributes to remember the iconic Beldina Odenyo Onassis, aka Heir of the Cursed Words: Eliza Gearty
A
fellow Govanhill resident, Beldina Odenyo Onassis was a familiar friendly face. I danced with her a few times and met her in passing (Beldina lived in the neighbourhood for years before moving to Paisley). Long before I saw her play or listened to her music, I knew of her as just another person making art in the Southside. When I did eventually see her perform as Heir of the Cursed, I was knocked flat – by Beldina’s obvious talent and stage presence, but also by the compassion in her voice, the care she seemed to take with every word, as if each song were a letter addressed to whoever needed to hear it. ‘Ignore the chatter that crowds your head / It’s just a symptom of the way that you were bred’, she sings on Hold the Mirror. ‘It’s not easy to love yourself / But I see you / And I’m patient’.
In recent years, Beldina was also making a name for herself in theatre. She worked with Hannah Lavery and the National Theatre of Scotland on Lament for Sheku Bayoh. She was working with Lavery again this year on a show called Blood Salt Spring. In July, she revealed to Greater Govanhill magazine that she was writing her own play. An artist with still so much ahead of her, Beldina was possibly not yet aware of the deep impact her work could have on people. But for those of us lucky enough to have witnessed one of her live performances, there can be no doubt. Beldina’s power as an artist wasn’t just because of her formidable talent as a singer and guitar player. It also came from the profound humanity that radiated from her music. — 28 —
She had the ability to speak to the lonely, the lost, the people who felt a little out of place, with a voice that was as vulnerable as it was defiant. It’s a voice that will live on in her music. In 2017, when she was named one of YWCA Scotland’s 30 Under 30, Beldina was asked what her message would be for girls and young women in Scotland. “There is a place for you in the world,” she responded. “If you can’t find it, make it.” Beldina’s place in the world will never be filled. But we are all so thankful she made it. In honour of Beldina, we’ve reached out to a number of her friends and peers to bring together a collection of tributes. We hope these warm memories can pay homage and provide some comfort.
