She is long thought of as the queen of R&B, headlining numerous festivals and dominating stages over the years, including a number here in Australia. Ms. Lauryn Hill is a true musical icon.
Her legacy is huge, with a ridiculous amount of awards, nominations and accolades under her belt, it’s safe to say that she has earned her title. In celebration of her coming to Australia for Byron Bay Bluesfest, we revisited Ms. Hill and her discography to capture some of her finest moments.
Ms. Lauryn Hill is a story book unto herself. Her effortless style and experimental approach to the blues has placed her in a league of her own, needless to say it wasn’t hard to come up with a few examples of where she has dominated the global music stage.
With an upcoming headline performance at Byron Bay Bluesfest, Lauryn Hill has solidified herself as a monumental figure in R&B.
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
A pivotal moment in Hill’s career, her 1998 record The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill sold 12 million copies and was responsible for her nomination in ten categories at the 1999 Grammy Awards, a first for any female artist.
The awards saw her walk away with another record of five wins in one ceremony, including prizes for Album of the Year, Best R&B Album, Best R&B Song, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best New Artist.
Sister Act
It wouldn’t be the first time a member of the musical community took a left turn into the film and television industry. Ray Charles, Cher, Justin Timberlake, even Kirin J Callinan have all made their acting forays to differing degrees of success or acclaim.
If you’re a fan of soul and of Whoopee Goldberg, then look out for a beautiful and transcendent appearance from one Ms. Lauryn Hill in Sister Act. Playing one of the local choir girls, her vocals are the highlight of the whole film.
Fugees
Before Ms. Lauryn Hill the independent performer, there was the Fugees. Her group alongside Wyclef Jean and Pras quickly became a central figure in New Jersey and then the world. Borrowing from elements of reggae, R&B and hip-hop, Fugees hit a huge 17 million copies for their debut album The Score.
A combination of soulful vocalist Hill and producers and rappers Wyclef and Pras, theirs is a crew which solidified Ms. Lauryn Hill as a legitimate and respected figure in the hip-hop community of the 1990s and years thereafter.
Touring
It’s been a few years since she’s hit stages, but now Hill is back and ready to bring her original releases and newer reworks to stages here in Australia and across the world.
If you haven’t already bought tickets to Bluesfest, consider Ms. Lauryn Hill to be one of those iconic artists you will kick yourself for not having seen live.
Bluesfest kicks off on March 29th in Byron Bay. Grab your tickets here.
