India Arie brought her skillful talents to Safe Horizon's 22nd annual Champion Awards on Wednesday night (April 5) for a performance of "I Am Light" to a crowd full of advocates for survivors of violence and abuse.
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During the annual gala, which focused on raising critical funds and honoring collaborators affiliated with the victim services agency, the 41-year-old soul titan took to the Chelsea Piers stage in New York City as the musical entertainment for the evening. However, she also offered the audience much more than just a four-minute rendition of the Songversation cut.
"I must admit I just learned about Safe Horizon and I understand why my friend Marvet Britto asked me if I would do this because Safe Horizon is about everything I'm about," she told the crowd with her guitar in tow. "My mission in life is to spread love, healing, peace and joy through the power of words and music. My quest to heal starts with myself like many of us in the work that Safe Horizon is doing. I'm a survivor of childhood abuse as well. I think so many people have had something that has happened."
Arie went on to explain that she learned at a very young age that she wanted to heal herself and the people around her. As she ventured into the ballad, it was clear to see why "I Am Light" was an important cut to perform for this particular event. iHeartRadio caught up with the singer shortly after an encounter with a fan, who admitted she became emotional upon hearing the 2013 track. "It's hard [to do] what we do, so when people do that, that's the pay," she told us. "Somebody getting something big out of it is more meaningful." Expect to hear more about "I Am Light" during Arie's upcoming episode of "BEING," which airs next Saturday (April 15) at 10 PM ET on Centric.
Among the other star-studded appearances during the evening included Jana Kramer, Alan Cumming, Tamron Hall, Clinton Kelly and more. Click here for more on Safe Horizon's 22nd annual Champion Awards.
Photo: Ricky Cheung for Safe Horizon
