Solange Knowles was conceived in Egypt.
The 31-year-old singer has had the Orion constellation tattooed onto her right arm and named her current tour ‘Orion’s Rise’ because of the links she’s discovered through Egyptology.
She explained: "I had some revelations, in terms of my parents finding out they conceived me in Egypt after visiting the Giza pyramids, and connecting to that and the constellation of Orion that aligns with Giza."
The ‘Cranes in the Sky’ singer – who has 13-year-old son Julez from a past relationship and is married to Alan Ferguson – admits her songwriting process is heavily influenced by her Creole heritage.
She said: "It can be colourful. It can be vivid. But one of the things I immediately think of when I think of Southern storytelling is its slower rhythm and slower pace.
"I think of times growing up when I would hear an aunt, an uncle or great aunt tell a story, taking you through all the different twists and turns and valleys and rivers of it.
"And as a writer I think that has really kind of influenced my pace. I really kind of take my time through the process."
When she was younger, Solange discovered a "safe haven" in the form of her mother Tina’s hair salon and adored the company of the women who visited.
She told ES magazine: "I got to experience women arriving in one state of mind and leaving in a completely transformed way. It wasn’t just about the hair. It was about the sisterhood and the storytelling.
"Being a young girl who was really active in dance, theatre and on the swim team, the salon was a kind of safe haven."
Solange Knowles’ Egyptology links
