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Diaspora Calling! Returns to U.K. as Lauryn Hill's Headline Set Is Cut Short

Organizers say they plan to return to make up for the abrupt 11 p.m. licensed curfew.

Overview

  • The festival, which took place last Friday, drew about 35,000 people to the Milton Keynes National Bowl for a multidisciplinary program of music, visual art, fashion and a marketplace for diaspora-led creatives.
  • Lauryn Hill curated the event and was joined onstage by Wyclef Jean for a performance honoring the 30th anniversary of The Fugees' album The Score.
  • The headline set ended when the venue cut sound at an 11 p.m. licensed curfew, prompting public disappointment and onstage signage explaining the legal requirement to stop.
  • Performers and organizers expressed intent to continue or expand Diaspora Calling! in future editions, and mentioned plans to make up for the curtailed performance.
  • A full three-person Fugees reunion is unlikely in the near term because Pras Michel remains in federal custody, making duo-led performances or archival projects the more probable follow-ups.