There’s a real Fugees feel to Global Citizen’s return to Brazil next month, as Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean lead the lineup for an exclusive concert.
The Fugees co-founders are reuniting for the 30th anniversary of the hip-hop outfit’s seminal album The Score, for a free, ticketed event Saturday, June 6, on Ipanema Beach. The special show is the culmination of Global Citizen’s first-ever Rio Nature & Climate Week, hosted by Instituto Natureza e Clima Brasil, The City of Rio de Janeiro, Re:wild and Global Citizen.
The Score arrived in February 1996 and served as the Fugees’ second and final album. Powered by standout tracks such as “Ready or Not,” “Killing Me Softly,” “Fu-Gee-La” and “No Woman, No Cry,” the collection debuted atop the Billboard 200 and won best rap album at the Grammy Awards in 1997. By October 1997, the album was six-times platinum certified by the RIAA.
“We can’t think of a better way to celebrate 30 years of The Score than taking action to make the world a better place, together with the beautiful people of Rio de Janeiro,” explains Wyclef Jean, who also serves as Global Citizen ambassador. Third Fugees member Pras Michel won’t be there; last month he began a 14-year sentence tied to his April 2023 conviction on 10 counts, including money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., witness tampering and illegal foreign lobbying.
Global Citizen Live: Rio de Janeiro will also feature YG Marley and Zion Marley, and is co-headlined by Latin Grammy Award-winning homegrown artist Ludmilla, who will perform cuts from her 2025 album Fragmentos.
“It’s very special to be part of Global Citizen Live: Rio, in my city,” comments Ludmilla. “Music has this power to connect everyone, and this is a chance to use that to talk about what really matters, which is our world and the future of the next generations. I’m excited to bring this Brazilian energy to the stage and to the beach, to celebrate and, at the same time, create a real impact.”
Giovanna Ewbank and Bruno Gagliasso will host the show, which will feature further commitments toward Global Citizen’s campaign goals, a statement explains.
Earlier, on Thursday, June 4, Global Citizen will launch its third Brazilian summit, the goal of which is to drive action on the world’s most urgent challenges, including access to clean energy, children’s education, food security, global health and more.
That action summit will be the third edition take place in Brazil, following Global Citizen NOW: Rio de Janeiro in 2024, and Global Citizen NOW: Amazônia in Belém in 2025, and will roll out at Casa Firjan in Botafogo.
Free tickets to Global Citizen Live: Rio de Janeiro can be earned by taking action on the Global Citizen app or by sending a WhatsApp message to +55 (11) 4040-7099, or volunteering in the local community. Visit globalcitizen.org for more.
