by Andrew HamiltonHilary 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, 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, uptempo 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, Incognito, Maysa Leak, and others have used her material. Her 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 canvassing for fresh R&B/pop janissaries without disenfranchising hip-hop lovers. She issued four albums during the 2000s: Soul Organic (2000), Copasetik & Cool (2004), Soulidified (2006), and Black Rose (2008).