Hil St. Soul 'SOULidified' album

When Hil St. Soul's Hilary Mwelwa hit Philadelphia for one of her first shows in America last year, she was met by an enthusiastic crowd shouting requests for her to sing Aretha Franklin's "Until You Come Back to Me," which was featured on her first import-only album. "Well, the band didn't learn that one," replied Hilary, "But I'll sing it for you anyway." She then sang a spontaneous, note-perfect a capella version of the song, to the audience's great delight. In that single moment she won over the crowd. After all, how many singers around can sing perfectly on demand? And that's what Hil St. Soul is all about: delivering soulful, straight-from-the-heart music without gimmicks, or pointless vocal gymnastics.

"I'm a fan of good music. The kind that hits you in the heart, mind and soul!" says Hilary Mwelwa, the next British R&B phenomenon destined to win over American R&B and soul devotees. Undeniably an artist on the rise, Hil St. Soul featuring the striking Zambian born Hilary Mwelwa, is poised to join the ranks of a few truly original artists that are ushering R&B and soul into a new era. USA Today declares, "Mwelwa's vocals are always enticing" while Vibe Magazine heralds "Mwelwa's rich, velvety voice warms the inside like a spot of tea." The 20-something year-old chanteuse along with her musical partner Victor Redwood Sawyer (founder of the award-winning hip hop group Blak Twang), make up Hil St. Soul, one of the hottest groups to emerge from London's underground music scene in recent years. Hil St. Soul has toured with such individual artists as Macy Gray, Angie Stone and D'Angelo.

On SOULidified Hil St. Soul's third recording, and the follow-up to last year's acclaimed Shanachie debut Copasetik & Cool, Hilary Mwelwa emerges as one of the most gifted young R&B singer/songwriters in recent years. SOULidified serves up 14- head-nodding tracks with infectious grooves, poetic and self-empowering lyrics and Hilary Mwelwa’s soulful, sensuous and hypnotic trademark vocals. People Magazine said of Copasetik & Cool, "Mwelwa’s gospel charged vocals fire up tracks like the down-home ditty "I've Got Me," which highlights the positive attitude of the lyrics" while The Boston Globe declared, "Mwelwa has a beguiling set of pipes- a whiff of Whitney here, a scoop of Chaka there..."

Blessed with an intensely rich, soul-drenched and honey-toned alto and armed with serious lyrical and compositional sensibilities, SOULidified showcases Hilary Mwelwa’s powerful chops and soul stirring, ultra smooth gospel-laden vocals that beg to be heard. Hilary shares,"Hil St. Soul is an amalgamation of all the music that has influenced me throughout the years, from soul and R&B to hip hop, jazz, blues and gospel."

Highlights on SOULidified include the steamy and sexy duo with Dwele, "Baby Come Over," the endearing and catchy "Sweet On You," the soulful and inviting "Hey Boy" and the strikingly beautiful, pensive and emotional ballad "Goodbye." Also included are such feel-good and uplifting numbers as "It's OK" and "Time 4 Love (Relax)." In a market overcrowded with vanishing one hit wonders, Hil St. Soul delivers the kind of music that promises to stand the test of time. Hilary, who enjoys cooking and interior decorating during her spare time confides, "All of the songs on my new CD are originals that I have developed over the past year that have been inspired by personal experiences. It's been a therapeutic and enjoyable process. Writing this album has allowed me the freedom to express myself and I am proud of the result."

Born in Lusaka, Zambia, Hilary Mwelwa relocated to London with her family at age five. As a child she adopted her father's love of music, as their home was immersed with the sounds of traditional Zambian music along with such American R&B/soul icons as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. As a graduate of London's Westminster University, Hilary had early ambitions to go into the science field and earned a degree in biological sciences. She shares, "While I was in school studying sciences, I started to explore my musical interests and I decided that I wanted to pursue music more seriously. I took a year off from school and during this time I recorded my first demo. I have never had formal music training but I was brought up on a diet of soul, R&B, Gospel and pop music from an early age." Luckily for us Hilary Mwelwa's path has led her to follow her heart and her music. She concludes, "I could have pursued a nice comfortable career path but music is where my heart is. I do believe that everything you do in life leads you to your ultimate destiny. My personal motto is live life to the fullest and to spend your time doing what you love. You have to enjoy each day as if it were your last."

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Hil St. Soul - SOULidified