Hill Zaini

Hill
Birth name Hilmi Zaini
Born (1987-10-13) October 13, 1987
Origin Brunei
Genres Pop
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, actor
Instruments Vocals
Years active since 2008
Labels Sensible Records
Website www.hillzaini.com

Hill Zaini (born 13 October 1987), popularly known as Hill, is a well-known Bruneian singer and actor.[1][2]

Early life

Hill was born on October 13, 1987, in Brunei. Singing has been his passion since a very young age. He performed regularly in school and on talent shows.[2]

P2F

P2F[3] is a television show in Brunei which has a similar concept to the Idol series. Hill was a contestant on the show in 2008 and was put through to the 'Final 12'. One of his most prominent performances was a duet of the Malay song "Lagu Jiwa Lagu Cinta".[4] After 3 weeks in the 'Final 12', there was controversy as Hill had to withdraw from the show for personal reasons.[5]

Acting career

After P2F, Hill was given the lead role in the RTB (Radio Television Brunei) TV series Aku Bukan Milikmu (I'm Not Yours) which was aired in May 2009.[6] This was Hill's first venture into acting and was a hit in Brunei.[7] This was followed by starring roles on other RTB dramas Usaha, Rindu Lagi and Korban Kasih which were aired in the latter part of 2009.[6]

Music career

After being spotted by a talent scout, Hill headed to London, England and signed with Sensible Records.[1][8] His first single, "Stay in the Middle", a duet with Irish platinum-selling artist Samantha Mumba, was released to iTunes in August 2009,[9] with an album scheduled for release in 2010.[2] Hill would be the first Bruneian to have a record contract with an international label and to have released a song with an international pop star.[10]

The music video for "Stay in the Middle" features a cameo appearance by US recording artist Mariah Carey. The superstar was so impressed with Hill's performance at an event in London that she agreed to appear in the video.[11] It was a recipient of a 2010 AVIMA (Asia Pacific Voice Independent Music Award) for Most Mindblowing Music Video where it came in third place.[12]

He was Brunei Pelangi FM's 'Spotlight Artist' in September 2009 and 'Artist of the Month' in May 2010.[13][14]

In March 2010, Hill released a single exclusively for his Bruneian fanbase entitled "Buat Selamanya".[15] The song entered straight into the Brunei Kristal FM Top 20[16] and reached number 1 on Pelangi FM.[13]

In July 2010, his third single, "I Heard", was released to iTunes as well as radio stations in Brunei.[17] It reached number 1 on Brunei's Pelangi FM chart in September 2010.[13] The single's music video stars Kristin Kreuk[18] and Faye Dunaway.[19]

Charity performances

Hill performed at the Sounds of Hope Charity Gala Night on October 3, 2009. The concert aimed to raise awareness about poverty in Brunei.[20] Hill said of his involvement with the charity: "I am a sensitive person, so it is actually saddening to learn that these poverty-stricken families are most of the time mistreated or looked down upon. Help the poor, like how you would want to be helped if you were in their position."[10] The concert was one of the most successful and extravagant shows in Brunei in 2009.[21]

On March 13, 2010, he performed at The Noble Gift Gala in London, which was hosted by Eva Longoria.[22] The event raised money for Make-A-Wish Foundation UK, which grants wishes to terminally ill children,[23] and Eva's Heroes, an organization founded by Eva Longoria which aims to enrich the lives of children with special needs.[24]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Position
2010 AVIMA (Asia Pacific Voice Independent Music Award) Most Mindblowing Music Video ("Stay in the Middle" - featuring Samantha Mumba)Won (third place)[12]
Cool-Tones Awards Best Male Won[25]

Discography

Singles
Year Single Brunei Pelangi FM
Chart Position		 Album
2009 "Stay in the Middle" (featuring Samantha Mumba)
  • Released : August, 2009
5
 Filling in The Pages
2010 "Buat Selamanya"
  • Released : March, 2010
1
 Filling in The Pages
"I Heard"
  • Released : June, 2010
1
 Filling in The Pages
Music videos
Year Title Director
2009 "Stay in the Middle" (featuring Samantha Mumba)
 Omero Mumba
2010 "Buat Selamanya" Daryl Prince
"I Heard" Caswell Coggins

References

  1. 1 2 Razak, Khairi. "Emerging Star Gears Up for International Debut". The Brunei Times. July 26, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "Hill Official Myspace Page".
  3. ↑ "Official P2F Website".
  4. ↑ "Video: Hill & AJ - 'Lagu Jiwa Lagu Cinta'". Youtube.com.
  5. ↑ "Hill withdraws from P2F 2008". P2Fbrunei.com. 2008. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
  6. 1 2 "Radio Televisyen Brunei Website".
  7. ↑ "Very sorry but here's something". Hillzaini101.blogspot.com. December 10, 2008. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
  8. ↑ "Sensible Music Ltd. Website".
  9. ↑ "Hill to Record Singles at London". Vancetan.com. 2009. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
  10. 1 2 Adams, Aiden. "Resonating Sounds of Hope". Borneo Bulletin. September 26, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Which Prince is Back in Court?". Vanityfair.com. January 14, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  12. 1 2 "Up Dharma Down's "Sana" Wins Best Music Video at AVIMA 2010" Voize.my
  13. 1 2 3 "Pelangi FM Website".
  14. ↑ "Hill Zaini is Pelangi's May Artist of the Month". Vancetan.com. April 30, 2010. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Hill Buat Selamanya". Vancetan.com. March 20, 2010. Retrieved March 23, 2010.
  16. ↑ "Kristal FM Website - Top 20 Chart".
  17. ↑ "I Heard - Single by Hill - Download I Heard - Single on iTunes". Itunes.apple.com. 2010-07-05. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  18. ↑ "Internet Movie Database - Kristin Kreuk - Other works". Imdb.com. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Internet Movie Database - Faye Dunaway - Other works". Imdb.com. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  20. ↑ Tanjong, Achong. "Help Eradicate Poverty with Sounds of Hope". Borneo Bulletin. September 6, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  21. ↑ Ahmadnawi, Farrah & Idris, Aziz. "Money Pours in at SOH Gala". Borneo Bulletin. October 4, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  22. ↑ "The Noble Gift Gala - The Event". Thenoblegiftgala.com.
  23. ↑ "Make-A-Wish Foundation UK Website".
  24. ↑ "Eva's Heroes Website".
  25. ↑ "Cool-Tones Awards Top 5 Finalists!". 3g.com.bn. August 12, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2010.

External links

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