Soul II Soul

Born in London around Jazzie B, Soul II Soul took shape in the late 1980s out of a sound system scene and parties at the Africa Centre and later at The Fridge in Brixton. Conceived more as a collective than a fixed band, Soul II Soul blended soul, R&B, dance, hip‑hop and reggae heritage into a British street‑soul aesthetic informed by Caribbean, African and African‑American influences. The first period brought together Jazzie B, Simon Law, Nellee Hooper, Rose Windross, Doreen Waddell and Caron Wheeler, whose voice defines the tracks “Keep On Movin’” and “Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)”, released following the album Club Classics Vol. One in 1989. Soul II Soul went on to release Vol. II: 1990 - A New Decade (1990), Volume III Just Right (1992), Volume V: Believe (1995) and Time for Change (1997), amid frequent changes of vocalists and collaborators such as Marcia Lewis, Victoria Wilson‑James, Kym Mazelle, Penny Ford, Melissa Bell and Charlotte Kelly. After a split in the late 1990s, Soul II Soul resumed activity from 2007 and has continued to perform around Jazzie B, with Charlotte Kelly among the voices associated with the collective’s more recent lineups.