The highly anticipated Fugees reunion tour, titled “Diaspora Calling” and announced in September 2021, has come to a screeching halt.
After the 12-date performance schedule experienced delays in the fall, many doubted that the tour would actually happen. However, the group as late as October, continued to tell fans that the tour was only postponed — moved to 2022.
On Friday, Jan. 21, an announcement that the global concert series planned to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of “The Score” is now officially canceled was made to the public. The group members, Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel and Lauryn Hill, took to the tour’s social media pages to share with their fans the sad news.
“We anticipate and understand disappointment but our anniversary tour will not be able to happen. The continued Covid pandemic has made touring conditions difficult, and we want to make sure we keep our fans and ourselves healthy and safe,” the graphic from the Fugees25 Instagram profile read.
“An idea sparked to honor and celebrate this 25th anniversary of ‘The Score’ but we see now it may not currently be our time for revisiting this past work,” the post continued. “We’re grateful for the special night we did get to share with some of you in New York, with that rare live moment. If opportunity, public safety, and scheduling allow, we hope to be able to revisit this again sometime soon. Thank you for all of your love and support throughout the years.”
Many people are not buying the COVID-19 excuse and have pointed to Ms. Lauryn Hill as the reason why the tour is now dead.
“Goddammit, I had tickets to The Fugees too. This is Lauryn Hill’s fault I’m sure of it.”
Some joked about her reputation of being late …
“Look like Lauryn Hill won’t be the only one not showing up. That shit canceled,” wrote another with an upside-down smiley face.
But Ms. Hill was actually really excited about the tour. She told The Los Angeles Times, “I decided to honor this significant project, its anniversary, and the fans who appreciated the music by creating a peaceful platform where we could unite, perform the music we loved, and set an example of reconciliation for the world.”
However, other factors may have played a role in the cancellation.
While the uptick in omicron COVID-19 cases, and/or Ms. Hill’s tardiness might have played roles in the tour being canceled, Variety magazine shares another reason: ticket sales.
According to the trade magazine, ticket sales were “light.”
Still, fans were not happy and showed their disappointment on Twitter.
One fan tweeted, “Some how I just knew this wasn’t actually going to happen.”
“Am I disappointed about the fugees? Partially. Am I surprised? Nope!” another wrote.
The Fugees, a trio founded in the early 1990s, is one of the world’s biggest selling artists. Their album, “The Score” was named by Rolling Stones one of the 500 greatest albums of all time, one of The Source’s 100 best pap albums, one of Spin’s top 90 albums of the ’90s, and one ranled by Vibe as one of the 100 essential albums of the 20th century. Tour or not, a great accomplishment.
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