NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Columbia Records) -
Wyclef Jean - the Grammy Award-winning musician, producer, hip-hop pioneer, and humanitarian who founded the legendary ensemble the Fugees - is celebrating the release of his critically-lauded new album, Carnival Vol. II - Memoirs of an Immigrant, with his "Carnival House Tour," an eagerly-anticipated major tour of North American clubs and theaters launching January 14 in Providence, Rhode Island and ending February 26 in Ohio (please see itinerary following). Wyclef's "Carnival House Tour" will feature sets by special guest artist and Columbia Records labelmate Lyfe Jennings.
Carnival Vol. II - Memoirs of an Immigrant is Wyclef's first full-length album for Columbia Records since his third solo album, "Masquerade," entered the Billboard Top 200 at No 6 in June 2002 and is the artist's first album, on any label since 2006, when he struck a major chord in mass pop consciousness with "Hips Don't Lie," the chart-topping Grammy-nominated international smash hit duet with Shakira.
Released on December 4, 2007, Carnival Vol. II - Memoirs of an Immigrant is already drawing raves from the press:
"Jean himself slings his pen and his guitar with equal effectiveness," wrote Steve Jones in USA Today's four star (****) review (December 4, 2007).
Rolling Stone (December 13, 2007) gave the album three-and-a-half stars with critic Evan Serpick enthusing, "It's a breathtaking, ambitious ride through a carnival of global music too rarely explored."
Jeff Vrabel in Billboard (December 8, 2007) heralded the album as " ... a stronger-than-usual collection ... " while Elena Oumano in Vibe (December 2007) observed "Wyclef is aiming for one world, rocking to his thick, improbably grooves."
"All schools of thought will agree:," opined Smooth magazine (Fall 2007), "The Carnival II is a sweeping study in excellence."
Lorrie Irby Jackson gave the album an "A" grade in the Dallas Morning News (December 3, 2007) writing, "Mr. Jean's relevant and relentlessly catchy album will please his Fugee-era followers and is an essential for those hungry for variety in hip-hop."
In New York Newsday's B+ critique of Carnival Vol. II - Memoirs of an Immigrant (December 4, 2007), Glenn Gamboa observed, "Not only does he work with a variety of co-stars, from Paul Simon and Norah Jones to Elephant Man and Shakira, but he draws from all sorts of world beat styles."
"It's nothing for this hugely successful ex-leader of the Fugees to sashay from tejano to salsa to kompa," wrote Jim Farber in the New York Daily News (December 4, 2007), "only to filter them all through conventional American musical forms ranging from country and rock to hip hop and pop."
With Carnival Vol. II - Memoirs of an Immigrant, his sixth full-length studio album, Wyclef Jean continues the autobiographical musical odyssey he began a decade ago with his 1997 triple-platinum debut solo album, "Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival Featuring Refugee All-Stars" (aka "The Carnival"). Wyclef gave his fans their first taste of Carnival Vol. II - Memoirs of an Immigrant with the release of the album's lead-in single, "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)," featuring Akon, Lil' Wayne and introducing Niia. Released in August, the single rapidly made its first Billboard chart appearance entering the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart at No 3.
According to Wyclef, Carnival Vol. II - Memoirs of an Immigrant is "a continuation of 'Gone Till November" (his 1997 Top 10 signature hit from "The Carnival"). I focus a lot on the songwriting." For his much anticipated new album, Wyclef has once again called upon his friends, showcasing his musical dexterity as he draws from an extraordinary and diverse roster of collaborating guest artists including Paul Simon (on "Fast Car"), Mary J. Blige, T.I., Norah Jones, Akon, Serj Tankian (of System Of A Down) (on "Trouble Again"), Lil' Wayne, and Shakira, to name a few. Wyclef produced the entire album with his long-time production partner, Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis, with whom he has worked since the beginning of the Fugees.
WYCLEF JEAN - CARNIVAL HOUSE TOUR 2008 with Lyfe Jennings
Mon - Jan 14 Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
Wed - Jan 16 New York, NY Nokia Theatre Times Square
Thu - Jan 17 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live
Fri - Jan 18 Washington, DC Love Nightclub
Sun - Jan 19 Atlantic City, NJ House of Blues
Sun - Jan 20 Norfolk, VA The Norva
Tue - Jan 22 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
Wed - Jan 23 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Thur - Jan 24 Barbados
Fri - Jan 25 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
Sun - Jan 27 Dallas, TX House of Blues
Tue - Jan 29 Denver, CO Gothic Theatre
Wed - Jan 30 Aspen, CO Belly Up
Fri - Feb 1 Phoenix, AZ Scottsdale
Mon - Feb 4 San Diego, CA House of Blues
Wed - Feb 6 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
Thur - Feb 7 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
Fri - Feb 8 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues
Tue - Feb 12 Seattle, WA Showbox
Wed - Feb 13 Burnaby, BC Canada The Firefighters Club
Wed - Feb 13 Vancouver, CAN Commodore Ballroom
Fri - Feb 15 San Francisco, CA University of San Francisco
Mon - Feb 25 Montreal, QC Club Soda
Tue - Feb 26 Kitchener, OH Club Elements
