By Ahmad Muto
UK-based Ugandan BBC journalist Alan Kasujja, a one-time lifestyle and entertainment writer with New Vision and a big fan of the multi-award winning hip-hop group, The Fugees’ songstress Lauryn Hill – one third of the group – is yet to recover from her secret Kampala visit.
According to Kasujja, Hill found her way into town in the 1990s – the same decade The Fugees was formed – and picked Hotel Equatorial as her place of abode and lived off the celebrity radar for a while.
That was when his (Alan’s) friend ran into her at the hotel. He could identify the familiar face, could not attach a name to it, even after she identified herself as Lauryn. Not even her American accent was enough to ring a bell.
“True story. Lauryn Hill sneaks into Kampala for a break. She’s chilling at the Hotel Equatorial poolside. Walks over to the ice cream parlour. My boy Bryan is there. Says hi to her. Tells her she looks familiar. Asks if she went to Kings College Buddo. Like him,” Alan narrates.
“She says no. Bryan insists that she looks very familiar. She smiles and graciously introduces herself as Lauryn. Was she in Buganda Road? No, she says. Bryan sarcastically thinks to himself. She must be one of those who goes to uni in India and returns with an American accent,” he continues.
Then finally, Alan’s friend figures out he had actually met the most Grammy-decorated female rapper to date (with eight Grammys) after turning on his TV set.
“A day later, bryan is watching Channel O and who does he see? Lauryn Hill. He kicks himself. He can’t believe he met Lauryn Hill and asked her if she went to King’s College Buddo,” adds Alan.
The trio Fugees trio – Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel – announced a World Tour last year to mark their 25th anniversary, but only picked Nigeria and Ghana as the two African countries for their final shows.
