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I had a once in a lifetime experience watching one of the greatest artists ever perform

I watched Lauryn Hill perform in front of 35,000 people during an incredible night dripping with a rich love of culture, passion and heritage from across the African diaspora

[Ms Lauryn Hill]

Ms Lauryn Hill headlined the incredible Diaspora Calling! festival

When I heard one of greatest female artists to ever hold a microphone was set to perform in the UK I scrambled to grab a ticket.

Ms Lauryn Hill graced music lovers with an incredible night last Friday celebrating the 30th anniversary of the The Fugees' seminal album The Score.

Lauryn and Wyclef Jean descended upon the UK headlining Diaspora Calling! festival at the National Bowl, Milton Keynes. The entire night was an incredible celebration of music and heritage from every corner of the African diaspora.

The event had an immaculate star-stuttered line up, from UK rap pioneers Giggs to the Reggae legends YG Marley and Zion Marley. The historic link-up even saw an appearance from the A American comedic mastermind Dave Chappelle who hosted the incredible event.

[Ms Lauryn Hill]

The entire night was a celebration of culture from across the diaspora

And honestly hearing Giggs perform the UKs National Anthem, also known as Talking the Hardest, on the big stage was the perfect way to get the event.

The night saw an otherworldly performance from Erykah Badu, who took to the stage to deliver her signature psychedelic soul sound as numerous other artists put on incredible acts.

Kano made a jaw-dropping surprise appearance during the night - as he joined Giggs and spoilt fans who were lucky enough to grab tickets to the festival.

MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who represents Clapham and Brixton Hill, also shared some incredibly moving words at the event. She sung the praises of the amazing culture the diaspora has generated both in the UK and across the globe.

[Dave Chappelle ]

Dave Chappelle hosted the event

The night saw incredible renditions of numerous songs from The Fugees' The Score landmark album as it revisited numerous bangers such as Ready or Not and Fu-Gee-La.

Lauryn, as expected, gave the crowd an impeccable performance one I will remember for years to come. Her set with Wyclef Jean moved through their individual catalogues, with Wyclef performing 911 and treating fans to a rockstar-like one of a kind guitar solo.

The entire event was underpinned with a rich love of culture. And that love for culture also seeped into the food served at the festival as well.

While I must confess, when it comes to cuisines, I think curry goat is the GOAT when it comes to dishes from across the diaspora.

However I decided to give the food vendors "Jerk and Jollof" a try and my taste buds were set alight by the dish. The chicken was juicy, tender and succulent. And an excellent complement to the jollof. The whole dish was a beautiful fusion of cultures from both sides of the Atlantic. Who would have thought Jerk and Jollof would be a match made in heaven?

[Festival]

The food served at the festival was amazing as well

Despite an incredible night of music, culture and food the festival sadly came to an abrupt close as the clock struck 11pm due to the venues licensing agreement.

It was a shame the festival came to such an abrupt finish. Ms Hill deserved a proper send off for the incredible performance she had put on alongside all of the other amazing supporting acts.

The whole experience has left me hungry for more as I found myself humming Ready or Not on the long journey back to long London.

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