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