58
Arts
Jan. 9 - Jan. 22, 2016
www.SanTanSun.com
Black Violin blends hip-hop and classical BY DAMIR LOLIC
Long before the duo graced the Broadway stage, Black Violin’s classically trained aficionados, violist Wil Baptiste and violinist Kev Marcus, stumbled upon orchestra class. “I wanted to play the saxophone, but they put me in the wrong class,” revealed Baptiste during a recent phone interview. “Kev’s mom enrolled him in a musical program over the summer and violin class was the only one with spots available.” After meeting in high school, the two Florida-based musicians forged an unmatched chemistry by simply taking what they were given and establishing what pundits are calling “genre-busting” music. Heavily influenced by jazz, bluegrass and funk, but equally adroit in Mozart and Beethoven, Black Violin set out to do something many wouldn’t dare. “Growing up in hip hop and just so happened to play the violin, we realized that jazz and the blues helped cultivate the urban culture so it was natural for us to fuse it all,” he said. Their penchant for doing something different has led them to earn the Legend title at the famed Apollo Theatre in New York. By March 2009, only a year after the release of its debut album, Black Violin was on Broadway performing pop covers by Akon, Lady Gaga and The Fugees. Since then, the duo has had the opportunity to work with major leaguers like Aerosmith, Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty. Receiving worldwide acclaim captivating audiences,
Baptiste said he feels as though they’ve come a long way since the debut of their 2008 self-titled album. “We’ve grown tremendously and touring has played a large part in that process,” he said. “Coming up as two black guys playing the violin in the club it looked insane. Sometimes people were jiving and sometimes they didn’t know what to think, but either way we kept moving and improving.” At the root of Black Violin’s clover is an undying work ethic. The band played 160 shows alone last year. Touring the country to gain notoriety for their latest project titled “Stereotypes,” the maestros are joined on stage by their longtime leader of ceremonies DJ TK, who plays the role of hype man in addition to supplying the duo with a rhythm and beat. The final ingredient is Baptiste providing vocals to the show that truly completes the exclusive atmosphere. Being socially conscious musicians, the duo’s message is deeper than instrumentals, Baptiste explains. “Nowadays with all the craziness going on, everybody needs a common ground and I feel like we bring that,” he said. “Something kind of like baseball in the ‘70s in a sense that all races can come together to root for one city or team.” Baptiste wants people to leave Black Violin shows feeling more optimistic and he encourages fans to interact during the spectacle.
Wil Baptiste wants fans to leave Black Violin shows feeling more optimistic. He also encourages fans to interact during the spectacle. Submitted photo
“When you come to a Black Violin concert, we want you to leave all the issues of the world behind and have a great time,” he said. “We encourage the fans to yell out, scream out—whatever you’re feeling just express it.”
Black Violin performs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, at the Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Tickets are $24 to $38. For more information, call (480) 782-2680 or visit www.chandlercenter.org.
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www.carnivalof illusion.com/WOW • (480) 359-SHOW Arizona Biltmore Resort • Mesa Arts Center • Tempe Center for the Arts