Hil St. Soul: Biography

• Overview
• Discography
• Biography
• Related Artists

• Videos
• Photos
• Groups/Boards
• Fan Sites

• Marie Howell
• Beverlei Brown
• Beverley Knight
• Soul II Soul
• Rahsaan Patterson
• India.Arie
• Adriana Evans

• Eric Lau

Birth Name:

Hilary Mwelwa

Genres:

R&B and Soul Music, Contemporary R&B Music, Rock Music

Decades Active:

2000's

Hil St Soul (aka Hilary Mwelwa) moved from Lusaka, Zambia, to England when she was five years old -- just in time for kindergarten. She studied biochemistry at the University of London, but a strong love for music pushed her to leave school and follow her heart. An a cappella demo of Stevie Wonder/Clarence Paul/Morris Broadnax's "Until You Come Back to Me," cut in 1995, started everything for the enthusiastic singer; she loved the song so much she waxed two versions for her debut CD, Soul Organic, five years later. The CD was jointly written and produced with Victor Redwood-Sawyerr (aka VRS, a founding member of Blak Twang), the other half of Hil St Soul.

A singer of many styles, Mwelwa is comfortable performing classic soul, smooth jazz, up-tempo funk, and gospel. Her versatility earned her the honor of Best Newcomer by the U.K.'s

-Blues Soul magazine. She has performed at festivals in Holland, Norway, and England, sharing stages with urban kings and queens such as D'Angelo, Kelis, Macy Gray, and Angie Stone, to name a few. An accomplished and prolific songwriter, Igcognito, Maysa Leak, and others have used her material.

Mwelwa's style doesn't lack drama, but she's more subtle than demonstrative. Not as reclining as Sade, and not as overwhelming as Mica Paris, she's found a comfortable niche that appeases classic soul fanatics while canvassing for fresh RB/pop janissaries without disenfranchising hip-hop lovers. ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide