Bilal Sayeed Oliver is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is an independent artist, noted for his wide vocal range, work across multiple genres, and intense live performances.
Bilal at Central Park SummerStage in New York, 2015
The Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Bilal's alma mater
Common and Mos Def (pictured in 1999) appeared on Bilal's debut album and were his colleagues in the Soulquarians musical collective.
Bilal performing at the A38 concert hall in Budapest, 2008
Progressive soul is a type of African-American music that uses a progressive approach, particularly in the context of the soul and funk genres. It developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s through the recordings of innovative black musicians who pushed the structural and stylistic boundaries of those genres. Among their influences were musical forms that arose from rhythm and blues music's transformation into rock, such as Motown, progressive rock, psychedelic soul, and jazz fusion.
Hitsville U.S.A., Motown's former studio-headquarters and now museum, with photos of Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, and Stevie Wonder in the window display
Wonder (shown in 1973) recorded a series of innovative prog-soul albums in the 1970s.
Isaac Hayes (1973), another singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist in the genre
Maurice White, frontman for Earth, Wind & Fire, 1975
