Grammy Winner Lauryn Hill Performs at Madiba Harlem at MIST March 20-21 with Small Axe Acoustic Tour

NEW YORK - March 20, 2015 - PRLog -- NEW YORK, NY—Singer Lauryn Hill sets the stage for a hot spring weekend when the eight-time Grammy winner brings her musical styling to Harlem with the “Small Axe: Acoustic Performance Series” presented by Blue Note at Madiba Harlem at MIST, located at 46 West 116^th Street, on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21 with 9:00pm performances.

“Madiba Harlem at MIST is honored to be the Harlem venue for Lauryn Hill’s ‘Small Axe’ acoustic performance,” said Carlton Brown, owner and president of MIST Harlem. “Ms. Hill’s advocacy in creating and promoting high-quality, thought provoking music, film and art dedicated to the African Diaspora meshes with our mission at MIST Harlem.”

Before Ms. Hill’s Harlem show kicks off, the public is invited to on-going festivities throughout the day on Friday and Saturday at Madiba Harlem at MIST. On Friday, March 20, check out transplanted London DJ Misbehaviourspinning from 5:00pm. On Saturday, March 21, there’s identical twin New Yorker DJs Angel & Dren from 7:00pm. To celebrate the spring weekend, the bar, cafe and restaurant will be open to kick off the new season.

Ms. Hill’s dynamic “Small Axe: Acoustic Performance Series” has been successfully winding through intimate venues in select cities. The acoustic performances are all about Ms. Hill’s vibrant voice. The Madiba Harlem at MIST performance will seat 200 people. In addition to regular tickets, upgrades are available to a VIP package that includes a meet-and-greet with Ms. Hill, a photo with the singer and autograph, a limited edition poster designed by Ms. Hill and a souvenir tour laminate.

Born in New Jersey to a schoolteacher mother and computer programmer/system’s analyst father, it was obvious from a young age that Ms. Hill possessed extraordinary talents, abilities and propensity for creativity.

Walking and talking early, she would soon impress family and teachers alike with a seemingly quick mind and extended vocabulary. She excelled throughout school in all areas of academic, athletic, creative and extra-curricular activity. A venerable social butterfly, she used her talents and office as school president from 5th to 8th grade consecutively, to promote many concerns expectantly beyond her years like a school breakfast program intended for students her same age, who weren’t able to eat adequately enough before school. This streak of community service would continue into high-school and beyond, eventually taking her into Africa and other parts of the world building wells in communities who lacked sufficient means to water and raising money, as well as sending food and clothing to the needy; not as a part of some school or social club’s prerequisite, but from her own private desire to make tangible change.

Ms. Hill grew up in a home where the sound of music was a household staple. This love affair with music seemingly outside of her generational trajectory would extend in many different ways from jazz, to soul, to reggae, to rock to classical. An eclectic appreciation and voracious appetite for good music trans-genre, Ms. Hill would establish her own categories that incorporated all types of unique and incredible sounds from both the past and the contemporaneous environment of her youth—this obviously included what was then known as hip-hop and R&B as well, but Puccini didn’t escape her either. She was an interesting and powerful hybrid of musical influences (and stylistic mastery). These influences would dramatically shape her own approach to self-expression.

Ms. Hill sang and deeply appreciated music at a young age, known for being very animated, she also acted, danced and enjoyed performance art of various kinds. She spent her formative years acting in plays and being cast in television commercials, as well as the daytime drama ‘As the World Turns’, Steven Soderbergh’s ‘King of the Hill’, and ‘Sister Act II’ with Whoopi Goldberg. Ironically all of this was done while she was still a full-time student. After graduating high school with stellar grades, she attended Columbia University in New York while a member of the then up and coming musical group the Fugees. Ms. Hill was a great academician, but her unique gifts, interest and pursuits would take her in the direction of profound experience and great accomplishment not just in the classroom, but also beyond it. This of course would not negatively alter her life-long love of learning, invention and acquiring knowledge, but would enhance it. She often envisioned herself as able to very naturally make the kind of great contributions that often come from people with great minds and the passion and discipline required in order to bring great things into fruition. She would establish a reputation in the music world as the lone female member of The Fugees, whose record sales would make them the second biggest selling R&B act worldwide since Michael Jackson. She launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The recording earned a record breaking five Grammy Awards.

On April 12 at 3:00pm, Madiba Harlem at MIST will host a screening of “Concerning Violence” by filmmaker Göran Olsson and narrated by Lauryn Hill. The documentary explores the events of African liberation struggles of the 1960s and 1970s during colonial rule. “Concerning Violence” tickets range from $10 with drinks to $25 with dinner.

The Lauryn Hill performance requires a pre-sale ticket. Limited seats are available at Madiba Harlem at MIST. Please call 212.828.MIST or hello@madibaharlem.com for more information. The DJ events are open to the public. Check out the website at www.madibaharlem.com.

About MIST Harlem

My Image Studios (MIST), located on 116^th Street in Harlem, is one of New York City’s most unique cultural spaces. MIST is housed in the upscale Kalahari condo development. Madiba Harlem Restaurant, Bar & Cafe is a fresh new addition to the Harlem
culinary scene with South African cuisine. There’s Kalahari Café for casual dining. In addition, MIST boasts a 200 seat state-of-the-art theater space and venue. MIST was designed and built with the intention to serve the greater Harlem and New York communities by providing a platform where film, music, visual art, poetry, comedy, seminars and other live and recorded events can be held.