Biography
Hil St. Soul functions as the stage name of Hilary Mwelwa, the singer-songwriter born in Zambia who later settled in Britain and moves fluidly across classic soul, smooth jazz, uptempo funk, and gospel. That range brought her the Best Newcomer award from the U.K.’s Blues & Soul magazine. Festival bills in Holland, Norway, and England placed her alongside James Brown, D’Angelo, and Macy Gray. A seasoned and prolific composer, she has supplied material for Incognito and Maysa Leak, among others. Although drama surfaces in her delivery, Mwelwa favors understatement over overt display, occupying a lane that satisfies traditional soul listeners while still attracting hip-hop fans. Close work with Victor Redwood-Sawyerr yielded four albums between 1999 and 2008, the commercial high point arriving with Copasetik & Cool (2002) and its charting single “All That (+ A Bag O’ Chips).” After a long absence she reemerged in the early 2020s via several singles that paved the way for her fifth Hil St. Soul album, Back in Love (2022).
Mwelwa left Lusaka, Zambia, for England at age five, arriving just in time for kindergarten. She began biochemistry studies at London’s Westminster University, but an intense devotion to music led her to drop out and pursue songwriting instead. Her first release appeared under the mononym Hilary with the 1996 Dome Records single “It’s On.” An a cappella demo of “Until You Come Back to Me”—written by Stevie Wonder, Clarence Paul, and Morris Broadnax and popularized by Aretha Franklin—pointed her toward a clearer artistic path. She recorded both electric and acoustic versions for her 1999 debut, Soul Organic, a Dome album co-written and produced with Victor Redwood-Sawyerr, aka VRS, who had already assisted on “It’s On.” Three years later Mwelwa and Redwood-Sawyerr delivered Copasetik & Cool on the Gut label, scoring a U.K. pop-chart entry at number 81 with the bhangra-flavored remix of “All That (+ A Bag O’ Chips).” Licensed for U.S. release in 2004, the album initiated a lasting relationship with Shanachie.
Soulidified, the third Hil St. Soul album, surfaced in 2006 with production shared among Redwood-Sawyerr, Eric Lau, Ernie Green, and Anthony Tidd. Highlights included the Dwele duet “Baby Come Over” and the opening track “Hey Boy,” one of Redwood-Sawyerr’s five contributions. He produced the bulk of 2008’s Black Rose, a spirited set highlighted by the uplifting India.Arie co-composition “Life.” An LP under the name Hilz appeared in 2011, after which Mwelwa stayed silent as Hil St. Soul for more than a decade. Partnering with producer Regi Myrix, she revived the alias in 2020 with two singles. The following year she covered Ohio Players’ “Heaven Must Be Like This” and joined Noel Gourdin on “Blessed.” “A Feeling So Beautiful” arrived in August 2022, building anticipation for Back in Love, the fifth Hil St. Soul album, released that November.
Mwelwa left Lusaka, Zambia, for England at age five, arriving just in time for kindergarten. She began biochemistry studies at London’s Westminster University, but an intense devotion to music led her to drop out and pursue songwriting instead. Her first release appeared under the mononym Hilary with the 1996 Dome Records single “It’s On.” An a cappella demo of “Until You Come Back to Me”—written by Stevie Wonder, Clarence Paul, and Morris Broadnax and popularized by Aretha Franklin—pointed her toward a clearer artistic path. She recorded both electric and acoustic versions for her 1999 debut, Soul Organic, a Dome album co-written and produced with Victor Redwood-Sawyerr, aka VRS, who had already assisted on “It’s On.” Three years later Mwelwa and Redwood-Sawyerr delivered Copasetik & Cool on the Gut label, scoring a U.K. pop-chart entry at number 81 with the bhangra-flavored remix of “All That (+ A Bag O’ Chips).” Licensed for U.S. release in 2004, the album initiated a lasting relationship with Shanachie.
Soulidified, the third Hil St. Soul album, surfaced in 2006 with production shared among Redwood-Sawyerr, Eric Lau, Ernie Green, and Anthony Tidd. Highlights included the Dwele duet “Baby Come Over” and the opening track “Hey Boy,” one of Redwood-Sawyerr’s five contributions. He produced the bulk of 2008’s Black Rose, a spirited set highlighted by the uplifting India.Arie co-composition “Life.” An LP under the name Hilz appeared in 2011, after which Mwelwa stayed silent as Hil St. Soul for more than a decade. Partnering with producer Regi Myrix, she revived the alias in 2020 with two singles. The following year she covered Ohio Players’ “Heaven Must Be Like This” and joined Noel Gourdin on “Blessed.” “A Feeling So Beautiful” arrived in August 2022, building anticipation for Back in Love, the fifth Hil St. Soul album, released that November.
Albums
Singles
