Hill Zaini
Birth nameHilmi Zaini
Born (1987-10-13) 13 October 1987
Brunei
OriginBrunei
GenresPop
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, actor
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years activesince 2008
LabelsSensible Records
Websitewww.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 13 October 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 3 October 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 13 March 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

YearAwardCategoryPosition
2010AVIMA (Asia Pacific Voice Independent Music Award)Most Mindblowing Music Video ("Stay in the Middle" – featuring Samantha Mumba)Won (third place)[12]
Cool-Tones AwardsBest MaleWon[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. 26 July 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "Hill Official Myspace Page".
  3. ↑ "Official P2F Website". Archived from the original on 10 February 2010.
  4. ↑ "Video: Hill & AJ – 'Lagu Jiwa Lagu Cinta'". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  5. ↑ "Hill withdraws from P2F 2008". P2Fbrunei.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  6. 1 2 "Radio Televisyen Brunei Website".
  7. ↑ "Very sorry but here's something". Hillzaini101.blogspot.com. 10 December 2008. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  8. ↑ "Sensible Music Ltd. Website".
  9. ↑ "Hill to Record Singles at London". Vancetan.com. 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  10. 1 2 Adams, Aiden. "Resonating Sounds of Hope" Archived 28 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Borneo Bulletin. 26 September 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  11. ↑ "Which Prince is Back in Court?". Vanity Fair. 14 January 2010. Archived from the original on 17 January 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  12. 1 2 "Up Dharma Down's "Sana" Wins Best Music Video at AVIMA 2010" Archived 1 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine Voize.my
  13. 1 2 3 "Pelangi FM Website". Archived from the original on 4 September 2011.
  14. ↑ "Hill Zaini is Pelangi's May Artist of the Month". Vancetan.com. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  15. ↑ "Hill Buat Selamanya". Vancetan.com. 20 March 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
  16. ↑ "Kristal FM Website – Top 20 Chart". Archived from the original on 15 March 2010.
  17. ↑ "I Heard – Single by Hill – Download I Heard – Single on iTunes". iTunes Store. 5 July 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  18. ↑ "Internet Movie Database – Kristin Kreuk – Other works". IMDb. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  19. ↑ "Internet Movie Database – Faye Dunaway – Other works". IMDb. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  20. ↑ Tanjong, Achong. "Help Eradicate Poverty with Sounds of Hope" Archived 23 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Borneo Bulletin. 6 September 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  21. ↑ Ahmadnawi, Farrah & Idris, Aziz. "Money Pours in at SOH Gala" Archived 9 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Borneo Bulletin. 4 October 2009. Retrieved 25 January 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. 12 August 2010. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
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