Support Maryam Balbed’s life and legacy

A note from Integriti and Crista:

As many of you know, Elijah Jamal Balbed is a musical genius with a heart of gold. He has created a sound that is steeped in tradition and lineage, but one that is is truly all his own. Behind that sound, is a beautiful family- his sister Yaya Balbed- a creative vocal force in her own right, and his loving and devoted Mother, Maryam Balbed who is fighting stage IV Colon Cancer. We are asking on behalf of their family for your love and financial help for his family during this very difficult time in their lives. Your donations will go directly to the family. Maryam has touched so many people’s lives. Please share this campaign with as many of those souls as possible, and consider donating frequently. No contribution is too small as this community comes together in supporting the Balbeds.

From Eijah:

June 2022 was the beginning of the most difficult chapter in the lives of my sister and I. Our beautiful mother was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer. If you know me even from a distance - you know that my mom is my best friend, my biggest supporter, my spiritual teacher, my rock.

Very sadly, she is fighting for her life now. As we transition her into hospice care, we are asking for support to help with the medical costs and costs of caretaking - proper dietary needs, a specific type of bed/mattress she wants, Ubers to visit, help with rent since she isn’t working, etc... It has been a pretty big burden on Yaya and I and we are humbly asking for support if you are in a position to help. We are also hoping she makes it long enough to get her into an integrative care program - which insurance doesn’t cover. At this point, we’re just trying to make her as comfortable as possible during this difficult time.

So many of you know my mom through her very active engagement on social media. I would like to share some of her story as a tribute to the incredible life that my mom has led.

The first female percussionist at Duke Ellington School for the Arts, Maryam Balbed was destined to be a pioneer in this world. Although she was pulled away from doing music herself, she always had a profound love for music and a deep understanding of it. More than the average person I would argue. In the 80’s, she found herself working at Charlie’s - a hip Georgetown Jazz Club where she was a bouncer and artist liaison - getting to see and interact with the likes of Sarah Vaughn, Milt Jackson, Monty Alexander, Shirley Horn, and many others. She often saw cats like Steve Novosel and the Redd Brothers there accompanying some of the big names coming through town.

Fast forward to when I was a kid - she surrounded me with instruments. Not many people know this except for her, but my first instrument was technically harmonica. She said I used to compose songs on a Mini Hohner before I ever touched a saxophone. That, combined with listening to all kinds of music from John Coltrane and Miles Davis, to Teena Marie and Fleetwood Mac, to Lauryn Hill and Bob Marley, and many others, led to a love and appreciation of different genres in my own musical endeavors. She bought (not rented) my first saxophone in 5th grade and my life would forever be changed.

At the time she was a graphic designer and web developer - by the way, a pioneer in that world too - as she taught herself coding when almost nobody was even doing it. She quickly rose the ranks - getting raises and promotions at her job and at freelance web developing as well. She worked with local politicians of the time like Valerie Ervin and now Congressman Jamie Raskin.

Then in her 40’s, she started really pursuing her dreams - first by teaching herself skateboarding. She ended up becoming an advocate and activist in the skate community - organizing young skaters to show up to a Montgomery Parks and Planning meeting to testify why a skate park should be built in Silver Spring. And so it was built. Then she followed another passion of hers - dogs. She taught herself the art of dog training, and taking dog walking and sitting jobs for money. The dog owners loved her because while she was walking the dogs, she would be simultaneously training them. And lastly - visual art. This is something she’s always been good at - and a skill she has used and developed while doing graphic design. But in the more recent years, she got really into drawing and painting - making some of the coolest, most unique designs you could imagine - often jazz inspired!

She has touched so many lives as she has traveled down these different paths, and we are so grateful for the ways these many communities have reached out to our family. Thanks so much for your donations and all the messages of support thus far. They don’t go unnoticed.

-EJB