Hil St Soul

Hil St Soul, the London-based project led by singer-songwriter Hilary Mwelwa, performs at Boisdale of Canary Wharf with a set of original British soul drawn from several albums and singles.

Hilary Mwelwa, born in Zambia and raised in London, leads the project, and the music draws on the soul lineage of Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye while taking in London R&B, jazz-soul and the smoother American soul sound that shaped Mwelwa's early years. The debut album Soul Organic earned Best Newcomer recognition from Blues & Soul, and later appearances included Later... with Jools Holland, shared stages with James Brown, D'Angelo and Macy Gray, and a US radio hit with a version of "For the Love of You".

The live programme pulls from a catalogue that includes "Until You Come Back to Me", "Pieces", "Strictly a Vibe Thing" and more recent songs from the albums Back in Love and Nasalifya (Thank You). The material is built on warm keys, a rhythm section playing tightly together, close backing vocals and a lead vocal kept at the centre of the sound.

Boisdale of Canary Wharf is a concert venue at Cabbot Place, in London's Canary Wharf, and the evening suits listeners who enjoy grown-up soul with neo-soul detail and jazz-soul colour. The venue also has a Drambuie Bar and a heated garden terrace for drinks before and after the show.