- Title: UK/KENYA: LAURYN HILL, LEAD SINGER OF THE FUGEES, TOURS EAST AFRICA
- Date: 21st April 1996
- Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (RECENT) (REUTERS) HILL SAYING A LOT OF THE TIME YOU GET AN AMOUNT OF MONEY, YOU SIGN A CHEQUE AND YOU LAY IT INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S HANDS, BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT. SOMETIMES EVEN BACK HOME YOU GIVE SOME AMOUNT OF MONEY TO SOME FUND AND LIKE, MAYBE, 10 PERCENT OF THAT MONEY WILL GET TO THE PEOPLE AND 90 PERCENT WILL GO ON OVERHEAD COSTS, AND WE JUST WANTED TO SEE THAT WHATEVER WE'RE INVOLVED IN WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT, AND WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON AND ALSO JUST TO MAKE A STATEMENT AND REACH OUT TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE OUT HERE AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE DO APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT AND THAT WE DO FEEL THE LINK. ITS NOT JUST US OVER THERE IN AMERICA AND YOU GUYS HERE IN AFRICA. IT'S ONE BLOOD (ENGLISH) HILL PREPARING T-SHIRTS AND CD'S TO GIVE TO CHILDREN HILL SAYING HUMILITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT. I WAS RAISED BY MY FAMILY AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THE FAMILY ARE PROBABLY THE ONLY ONES THAT WILL REALLY BE THERE, YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO RECOGNISE THAT AND DON'T STEP ON TOO MANY TOES, PLUS WE HAVE GOT LOVE FOR EVERYBODY WE'VE GOT LOVE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE FUGEES FOR REAL HILL PACKING CLOTHES INTO BAG/STRUMMING GUITAR DANIEL TYLER, CHURCH WORLD SERVICES, SAYING I'M VERY IMPRESSED. I'VE LIVED IN AFRICA MOST OF MY LIFE, THOUGH I'M AN AMERICAN. FOR ME ITS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTISTS COMING FROM THE U.S. AND WANTING TO COME AND SEE WHAT IS GOING ON HERE IN AFRICA, TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE PROBLEMS AND ISSUES HERE IN AFRICA. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT (ENGLISH) HILL BEING INTRODUCED TO SCHOOLCHILDREN CHILDREN APPLAUDING, HILL WALKING ONTO STAGE HILL EXPLAINING TO CHILDREN THAT SHE IS IN AFRICA FOR HER NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION, EXPLAINING THAT RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE WAS ON A FILM ABOUT MOHAMED ALI'S TRIP TO ZAIRE TO FIGHT FOREMAN, AND AMERICAN KIDS DON'T HAVE A TRUE CONCEPT OF WHAT AFRICA IS LIKE, A LOT OF FALSE AND STEREOTYPICAL IMAGES SO WE WANTED TO COME TO AFRICA TO SHOW THE WORLD WHAT IT WAS LIKE (ENGLISH) CHILDEN CHEERING
- Embargoed: 6th May 1996 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NAIROBI, KENYA
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom Kenya
- Topics: Arts
- Reuters ID: LVA6OKHM8Q1SRCLVNK1RAJKUQ01N
- Story Text: The Fugees are best-known for a string of worldwide hits including "Killing Me Softly" and "Ready Or Not".
But it was the band's less-publicised work for charitythat took lead singer Lauryn Hill on a tour of east Africa.
The Fugees have been holding fundraising concerts in the United States to help African refugees so Hill decided to witness for herself how the money is being spent.
"A lot of times you get an amount of money, you sign a cheque and you lay it into someone else's hands, but we didn't want to do that," Hill told Reuters. "We just wanted to see that whatever we're involved in we feel good about it and we know exactly what's going on." The band's name is short for refugees - a word that is often used as a derogatory term in Haiti, from where two of the Fugees - Wycliff and Prise - originate.
Now the Fugees will be helping Africa's refugees, which number more than five and a half million, through their support of the U.S.-based Church World Services.
Hill had wanted to visit Zaire, but he rapidly unfolding events there led organisers to take her instead to refugee camps in east Africa.
The Fugees are one of the most popular groups in the world today. Their success, Hill said, only strengthens her belief about their place in society.
"We were chosen to say some things and all the awards and stuff, the real meaningful things are when you come out to wherever, whether it be Nairobi or Brooklyn and spread the message." "There are a lot of kids from where we come from that know how to do what we do. We were just blessed enough to have the opportunity to do it," she added.
Since their multi-million dollar 1996 hit single "No womann, No Cry", the Fugees have consistently hit the charts, winning Grammy Awards for Best Single, Best Album ("The Score") and Best New Group this year.
During a surprise visit to a Nairobi school, Hill explained that she was inspired to visit Africa after the Fugees' music was featured in "When We Were Kings", the Oscar-winning documentary about boxer Mohammed Ali's historic match with George Foreman in Zaire.
"American kids don't have a true concept of what Africa is like, there are a lot of false and stereotypical images, wo we wanted to come to Africa to show the world what it was really like," Hill said.
She then treated pupils to an impromptu version of her group's hit "Ready or Not".
The Regional Representative for Church World Services, Daniel Tyler, said he was impressed by Hill's decision to visit the region.
"It's the first time I've seen an African American artist coming from the U.S. and wanting to come and see what is going on here in Africa, to know and understand some of the problems and issues here in Africa. I think it's very important." Tyler added that it was important for Americans to have a positive image of Africa.
Hill said that she is now considering organising a Fugees concert tour of Africa to strengthen her ties to the continent.
"It's not just us over there in America and you guys here in Africa" she said, "It's one blood". - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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