Lauryn Hill speaks out on Fugees tour cancellation
Lauryn Hill has blamed “sensationalism and clickbait headlines” for the decision to cancel her North American tour with the Fugees.
Billed as a 25th anniversary celebration of Hill’s debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the 18-date “co-headline” run was set to feature the US singer and Fugees bandmates Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel.
But the tour, which had been rescheduled from last November, was pulled this week – just three days before tonight’s (9 August) scheduled opener at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, Florida.
Alleging that unfavourable media coverage had hurt ticket sales for the dates, Hill says the decision to cancel was made “with difficulty”.
“Last year, I faced an injury that necessitated the rescheduling of some of my shows,” she says on social media. “Regrettably, some media outlets’ penchant for sensationalism and clickbait headlines have seemingly created a narrative that has affected ticket sales for the North American portion of the tour.
“The trust and faith I have in my intentions and my commitment to my art seem to have been overshadowed by this unfortunate portrayal.”
“We’re looking forward to performing at the shows in the UK and Europe in October”
Hill & the Fugees’ October/November 2024 European tour is scheduled to go ahead as planned. Kicking off in Ireland at Dublin’s 3Arena, it is slated to include UK arena dates in Cardiff, Manchester, London, plus shows in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden.
“The audiences in the UK and Europe not only haven’t seen the Miseducation anniversary performance yet, they also haven’t seen the Fugees perform together in over 25 years,” adds Hill. “Performing for my fans, is a profound exchange of energy and emotion that excites me every time. Every show is a piece of my expression and testament to our connection and shared love for music. I can assure you that no one is more disappointed about not being able to perform than I am.
“We’re looking forward to performing at the shows in the UK and Europe in October — and for our fans in North America, when these unforeseen circumstances are resolved, we’ll be back in full force.”
A number of other high-profile artists have also cancelled gigs at short notice in recent days, including Journey, who axed their UK & Ireland tour as a result of “circumstances beyond the band’s control”, Rod Stewart, who called off his 200th residency celebration show in Las Vegas due to suffering from strep throat, and Blink-182, who pulled two US concerts “due to illness”.
Last week meanwhile, PinkPantheress and Garbage both cancelled all their upcoming tour dates for health reasons.
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Heartland to reunite Lauryn Hill with Wyclef Jean
Live Nation Denmark has revealed that its Heartland Festival has confirmed a landmark European exclusive performance by Ms. Lauryn Hill to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her multi Grammy award-winning album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
The 13 June performance will mark the first time in 20 years that Hill will share a stage with former Fugees star Wyclef Jean, while Hill’s son, YG Marley – with whom the singer was pregnant when she recorded the iconic album – will also feature on the bill.
Boutique festival Heartland takes place from 13-15 June in the stunning surroundings Egeskov Castle on the island of Funen. Among the other acts announced for this year’s event are Anne Sanne Lis, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Phoenix, and Tom Odell.
“Fugees’ The Score and Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill are seen as two of the most important and groundbreaking albums of the late 90s”
Hill will perform her iconic Miseducation album, as well as Fugees classics with Jean, whose set will feature music from his groundbreaking solo releases. YG Marley, who has rocketed to fame with his global hit Praise Jah in the Moonlight, will make his first appearance in Europe at the event.
“It’s a major scoop for us that Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean have agreed to put together a unique and exclusive concert set for our audience at this year’s Heartland Festival,” says Heartland MD, Ulrik Ørum-Petersen. “For a generation, Fugees’ The Score and Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill are seen as two of the most important and groundbreaking albums of the late 90s, and with more than 42 million albums sold, they are undeniably milestones in modern music history.
“It will without a doubt be a night to remember at Egeskov Castle.”
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Global Citizen reveals all-star lineup for NY festival
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ms. Lauryn Hill and Megan Thee Stallion will headline the forthcoming edition of Global Citizen Festival in New York City.
Anitta, Conan Gray and Stray Kids are also set to perform at the event on the Great Lawn of Central Park on 23 September.
Tickets to the concert are free but require joining Global Citizen’s campaign to raise awareness about hunger, poverty, climate change and inequities facing women around the world, among other related concerns.
This event is focused particularly on persuading the UK government and Labor Opposition to release a time-bound plan for delivering on the £11.6 billion ($14 billion) in climate financing, the same amount pledged at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
They are also hoping to apply pressure on the Canadian government to continue championing women and girls by pledging to fund health services through United Nations Population Fund. Additionally, they are attempting to persuade the government of Australia to rejoin the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and equip smallholder farmers across the Pacific and the world to combat the global food crisis.
“The Global Citizen Festival is important to mobilize more people and more investments in reaching the world’s Common Goals”
Celebrities set to participate in this year’s campaign include Busy Philipps (activist, actor), Bill Nye (engineer), Carmelo Anthony (former NBA star), Common (rapper), Gayle King (TV personality), Jordan Fisher (actor) and Sophia Bush (activist, actor).
“Extreme poverty, hunger and food insecurity threaten lives and health,” says Ms. Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Norwegian minister of international development.
“The call for action is crystal clear: We need to increase investments in climate-robust, small-scale food production. Growth in agriculture is the most efficient way to create jobs, fight poverty and combat hunger. The Global Citizen Festival is important to mobilize more people and more investments in reaching the world’s Common Goals – our Sustainable Development Goals.”
José Ramos-Horta, president of Timor-Leste, governor Helder Barbalho and Puyr Tembé, the state secretary for indigenous people from the Brazilian state of Pará, will also address the event.
Advocates Barbie Izquierdo, Deja Foxx, Ineza Umuhoza Grace, Jerome Foster II, Nkosana Butholenkosi Masuku, Sophia Kianni, Pashtana Durrani, and Wangari Kuria, are also set to make an appearance.
Last year’s Global Citizen Festival, which took place in the US and Ghana with acts including Metallica, Maneskin, Mariah Carey, Usher and SZA, raised $2.4 billion in pledges to end extreme poverty.
The organisation’s 2023 campaigns include a recent event in Paris, coinciding with The Summit for a New Financial Pact, which featured Billie Eilish, Lenny Kravitz, H.E.R. and Jon Batiste.
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Baloise Session announces 2018 lineup
Baloise Session, the intimate annual concert series held in Basel, Switzerland, has announced its 2018 lineup. This year will see big names including Ms. Lauryn Hill, John Legend and George Ezra perform in the candlelit club-like setting of Basel’s Event Halle.
Running from 19 October to 6 November, the indoor festival will host ten themed concerts, including nights dedicated to ‘Indie Chartbreakers,’ ‘Songpoets’ (featuring George Ezra), ‘Pure Blues’ and ‘Iconic Night’ (featuring Ms. Lauryn Hill). Also on the bill are two ‘Evenings with…’ John Legend.
Organisers hope “stars and newcomers [will conjure] up magic moments of music” together.
This year’s event will be the 33rd edition of the festival, and the third since the death of its founder, Matthias Müller, in 2016. By putting together a characteristically genre-bending lineup of artists both up-and-coming and legendary, organisers hope “stars and newcomers [will conjure] up magic moments of music” together, in front of a crowd of 20,000 people across the series.
Last year’s event saw a similar genre-bending lineup, as Alicia Keys, Madness, Kool & the Gang and Nelly Furtado all took to the Swiss stage to perform.
The full lineup for this year’s Baloise Session can be found below:
19 October – Sunrise Avenue / Veronica Fusaro
20 October – John Legend / Alina Amuri
21 October – John Legend / Nicole Bernegger
25 October – Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals / Jimmy Cliff
26 October – Lo & Leduc / Clueso
27 October – George Ezra / Jack Savoretti
30 October – Buddy Guy / Beth Hart
2 November – Tribalistas / Maria Gadú
5 November – Ms. Lauryn Hill / Marius Bear
6 November – Walking On Cars / LP
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