On 21st September, British soul artist Hil St Soul will be performing at Nell’s Jazz and Blues – a hidden gem within London’s live music scene located in West Kensington.
Born in Lusaka, Zambia, Hilary Mwelwa moved to the UK at the age of five. Appearing on the scene in the late-1990s/early 2000s as American artists such as D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Alicia Keys brought neo-soul to its apex, Mwelwa was noted for the distinctly British sensibility in her original material.
Andy Kellman of AllMusic described Hil St Soul’s sophomore album Copasetik & Cool (2002) as a blend of ‘lush hip-hop, acoustic folk, uptown soul, and relatively gritty disco-funk’. Indeed, Mwelwa herself describes being raised on ‘a diet of soul, R&B, Gospel and pop music’, drawing upon her parents’ love for the likes of Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder. In fact, Mwelwa recorded ‘Until You Come Back To Me’, written by Stevie Wonder for Miss Franklin (although first recorded by Wonder himself), on her debut album, Soul Organic (1999). The album was produced and co-written by Victor Redwood-Sawyerr.
Joining Hil St. Soul at Nell’s Jazz and Blues is Alex Parvenu – alternative soul artist, film-maker, and self-defined ‘black bohemian’.
You can buy tickets to see Hil St Soul at Nell’s Jazz and Blues here.
Listen to her finessed, lustrous rendition of ‘Until You Come Back to Me’ below.
(Image taken from Hil St Soul Facebook page)
