In a purple catsuit and spiky celestial headpiece, Nona Hendryx beckoned, with a wave. “In the forest of the ancestors.”It was not the real Hendryx but her digital avatar, giving a tour of a new virtual reality project. They both inhabit a world of their own creation, signaling urgently for everyone to catch up. journey was Hendryx’s 1983 electro jam “Transformation” — “Change your mind/Change your skin,” the lyrics go — because, she said, “I’ve constantly evolved and transformed over time.”With each metamorphosis, Hendryx has spun into an even more singular cultural presence. In fact, she blithely told me, she never wanted to be a singer at all.

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Persons: Nona Hendryx beckoned, “ I’ve, Lady Marmalade ”, Labelle, —, blithely