Published: Wednesday | January 4, 2012
Lauryn Hill - File
Lauryn Hill, the talented singer, songwriter and actress, quietly slipped into Jamaica Monday night as she prepares to perform at the Shaggy and Friends Charity Concert set for January 7.
The concert that will also feature performances from international recording stars Ne-Yo and Deniece Williams on the lawns of Jamaica House, is being held to raise much-needed funds for the BustamanteHospital for Children, the beneficiary of the Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation.
The 36-year-old former member of the Fugees, who, along with her six children, arrived in the dead of night, is making the trip thanks to LIME, who is on board with the foundation to the tune of almost $8 million.
According to LIME's head of marketing, Stephen Price, his company came on board to assist with helping to make the charity concert special.
"They wanted to bring in someone unique," he said, explaining why LIME came on board to help make the Grammy-award winning artiste available.
"She is one of the most beloved artistes and we thought it appropriate for Jamaicans to see her in other than a purely commercial light."
Hill, of course, has a strong Jamaican connection. Five of her six children were fathered by Rohan Marley, son of the legendary Bob Marley. She has also covered Marley's Turn Your Lights Down Low andRedemption Song. "In addition to her command of several genres, she also has a very healthy command of reggae music," Price said.
Media reports say she has invested financially in Jamaica, but the nature of those investments is unknown.
Price revealed that she consented to perform at the concert because she respects Shaggy's efforts in trying to raise money for the hospital that sees to the needs of many of Jamaica's children. "That's why we wanted to join forces and come on board for this," Price said. "The work of the Bustamante Hospital for Children is a tremendous and invaluable service to Jamaican children and their families. We feel it is our duty to support this noble effort being championed by Shaggy and his team, and so we are 100 per cent committed to helping the foundation achieve its targets."
He continued: "In addition to partnering with Shaggy, we have also created opportunities for our customers and Jamaicans in the Diaspora to participate and contribute to the effort. As such, we will be providing a live broadcast of the concert on LIME Mobile TV and via pay per view online, from which we will donate proceeds. "We take this opportunity to commend Shaggy, who has been a long-time member of the LIME family, for continuing to use his celebrity status to raise awareness about the needs of the institution and for inspiring many others to do something about it".
Hill's Grammy-winning album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide, topping Billboard's 200 albums chart and its R&B chart.
Released in 1998, the album would help Hill enter the record books. At the 1999 Grammy Awards, Hill became both the first woman ever to be nominated in 10 categories in a single year, and the first woman to win five times in one night. Hill won the awards for Album of the Year, Best R&B Album, Best R&B Song, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best New Artist.
She also starred in the hot movie Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit that starred Whoopi Goldberg.
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