Saturday 4 September 2010

The Perfect Ending with Lisboa, Estelle and Ms. Lauryn Hill!!

Oi meninas e meninos!

Yes, it has been a while since I made my last entry, but let’s face it I was enjoying my summer romance way too much! But now I am sad to say that its over (for now) and I am back on this little grey Island that they like to call England, reminiscing about the good times that Mr Lisboa and I shared over our few blissful months together in Portugal.

As sad as I was to leave, Mr Lisbon reassured me that I would be leaving on a high note…and what a high note it was indeed! My thoughtful and cultured man took me to my favourite Praca (Square), Praca do Commercial in his city for a live outdoor festival where Estelle and Ms. Lauryn Hill performed live with their amazing bands!!! Where I held down my front row spot all night! And rightly so, might I add. I drank about a litre of water over the duration of two days just so I wouldn’t go to the toilet and lose my place! (My mother would kill me if she knew.)

It was just so amazing and thoughtful of Mr Lisboa to take me to this festival, as seeing Ms. Lauryn Hill live in concert was one of the many things to do on my Bucket List, (you know that list of things that you have to do before you die), and I’m pretty sure that those few amazing hours of my life that shared with my lover and lets not forget the estimated crowd of 40,000, will flash before my eyes before I’m called to the pearly gates.

Warming up the stage and the crowd Estelle did us UK chicas proud!!! Making her entrance out onto the stage performing her track ‘Freak’ she really got the vibe going. Ashamed to say it was my first time seeing the London menina live in concert, she was bloody amazing! Very charismatic and humble.



Each of the songs she performed she explained what they were about to the crowd and what inspired them which was usually a funny story. But the thing that really got the crowd going was….she hand picked a Portuguese boy out of the crowd and gave him a likkle darnce!!! Bless his soul he really did try! He looked so scared, but quickly got the hang of the Bristih girl swag. Lol!



Ending her set with her infamous ‘American Boy’ she left the stage leaving the crowd hyped, but before doing so shared her excitement for the next act…. Ms. Lauryn Hill!!!! I think it’s safe to say that she was as excited as we were in the crowd, because let’s face it… there is only one and will only ever be one Ms. Lauryn Hill!!!!!!!

After waiting a while due to technical difficulties Ms. Hill finally graced the stage on a Caribbean Vibe to the sounds of Vybs Kartel ‘I’m So Special’.
After the long wait L Boogie began to wow the crowd with her amazing energy when she went in hard on her Hip Hop game.

Sporting an image very different from her Fugees and Miseducation days, Ms Hill wore an African print maxi skirt, brown fitted leather jacket and single braids down to her waist and still looked as beautiful as ever.



To begin with the vibe was a complicated one to grasp as it felt like a private jam session between Ms Hill and her band, but the more I watched and listened the more interesting and apparent Ms Hill’s authoritive reign became. Believe me, L Boogie is not one to be messed with. Although it was clear to see that she allows creative freedom within her band musically, judging by the sharp looks and points that she was throwing all over the joint she is a woman of control and her band knew that they were on a leash only to be controlled at all times by Ms Hill keeping their creative freedom in check.



Surprisingly Ms Hill kept the whole concert strictly old school with many tracks from the internationally known solo album of the 90’s The ‘Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ and surprised the crowd with tracks from the legendary Fugees album ‘The Score’!

The crowd went wild with tracks such as ‘Fu gee la’, ‘Ready or Not’ and ‘How Many Mics’, but I think its safe to say that the biggest hit with the Lisbon crowd that night had to be the single of 1996 ‘Killing Me Softly ’. Before performing the hit she told the crowd that it had been a long time since they had performed this song (And honey we know why! The song got played the hell out!!!) But even though I can’t stand the song, I can honestly say that it was an amazing performance filled with an united energy of the love of music from L Boogie, her band and whole entire crowd who sang the along word for word and note for note leaving a buzz in the Lisbon air.

To end the show she left the stage to return at the request of the chanting crowd (naturally) to the sound of the DJ playing her duet with Bob Marley ‘Turn Your Lights Down Low’ to then end the night on a high note with her huge solo hit single ‘Doo wop (That Thing)’.

As she left the stage for the final time after telling her loyal fans to ‘stay free’ and the crowd began to disperse, there was a feeling of amazement amongst those who lingered to discuss what they had just witnessed.
Completely buzzing from what I had just experienced, I felt highly inspired by the energy that Ms Hill just had shared with the thousands of fans that stood up all night and sang along to the songs that have made an impact of the music history of ‘our’ time.

It was refreshing to see such a huge international artist who is loved by millions across the globe able to rock the hell out of a festival in a country whose native tongue is not of the language used for the lyrical delivery of the hits from her only solo album after more ten years on from the release date.
L Boogie is living proof that it is possible to obtain and maintain phenomenal, international success without the compromise of your creative freedom or the price of your privacy.

She is an inspiration to millions across the world to do what they love because what you love sets you free and on August 31st 2010 in Lisbon, Portugal in a Square filled with thousands of fans Lauryn Hill sure gave us a taste of her freedom, and it was a taste worth waiting for.

So… what can I say my summer romance really did go out in style, It will be one that will be re kindled every once in a while, but will it ever be the same as the romance that we shared this summer? Who knows but it was fun while it lasted and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect ending!!
It will sure as hell be a story to tell the Grand kiddies one day in the distant future.



Love Sara (A little lady with big fancy dreams.) xxxxx