SOUL II SOUL

About

Formed in 1988, Soul II Soul and Jazzie B quickly achieved a name in their community in North London. Soul II Soul's dances had been reflecting what was occurring naturally in London; kids of all races had grown up together and were now raving together. By the mid-1980s the warehouse scene was in full swing, vibrant and underground, removed from the constraints of the mainstream – a natural fit for Soul II Soul's creativity.

Nothing summed them and their crowd up better than their regular Sunday night spot at the now legendary Africa Centre in London's Covent Garden. The Africa Centre was a game changer for Soul II Soul; for British black music; and for the nation's youth culture in general. It caught the attention of Virgin Records, who signed them as an act in 1988, catapulting them into a tornado of success.

There were the resident club nights all over the world; live concert tours; radio and TV appearances; Jazzie had his own show on London's Kiss FM and there was even an Adventures of the Funki Dreds comic book. And, of course, Soul II Soul enjoyed the type of chart success – notably with Keep On Movin and Back To Life – that made them household names all over the world.

To date Soul II Soul have sold over 10 million albums in over 35 territories worldwide and have product on over 200 compilation CDs while Jazzie has accreditation on over 35 million albums in over 100 territories. They've performed in over 20 countries, and appeared at some of the most famous venues in the world including Wembley and New York's Universal Ample Theatre. America embraced Soul II Soul to such a degree, in 1990 they picked up two Grammy's. Jazzie was given the keys to seven cities in the US, including LA and New York, and the NAACP has honoured him. There's even a Soul II Soul day over there.