Solange Knowles has revealed her diagnosis with an autonomic disorder, saying her doctors have advised her not to continue with a scheduled New Year’s Eve show in South Africa.
The singer took to Instagram to address the cancellation of her Johannesburg Afropunk festival appearance, saying that she has been “quietly treating” her diagnosis over the past five months.
“It [has] been a journey that hasn’t been easy on me… Sometimes I feel cool, and other times not so cool at all,” Knowles said.
“It’s a complicated diagnoses , and I’m still learning so much myself, but right now, my doctors are not clearing me for such an extended lengthy flight, and doing a rigorous show right after.”
Autonomic disorders affect the autonomous nervous system, which controls unconscious bodily functions such as heart rate, digestion, pupil dilation, and sweating, among other vital systems.
Symptoms can include migraines, extreme fatigue, dizziness, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath.
In her statement, Knowles vowed to hold a future Afropunk appearance in South Africa, thanking “all of the other festivals this past summer/fall who have known about my health, kept it confidential, and gone out of their way to make me feel supported while doing these shows.
“As a part of the self care that I’ve tried to encourage this past year, it needs to start with myself, and I’m looking forward to doing a better job of this 2018.
This past year has been one of the most fulfilling of my life…”
Afropunk has also released a statement on her cancellation, saying “it is incredibly important to those of us at AFROPUNK that she recovers and remains in good health. Her music and spirit has been a place of great comfort and inspiration to us as a community.”
Read Knowles’ full statement below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdNmg26BVcI/?hl=en&taken-by=saintrecords
