Black Violin is a classically trained duo made up of Wilner “Wil B” Baptiste (on the viola) and Kevin “Kev Marcus” Sylvester (on the violin). What separates them from other musicians is how they combine elements of jazz, funk, and hip-hop to give these old instruments a fresh, new sound. Never heard of them before? You probably have and didnt even realize it, as they have collaborated with musicians John Legend, Aretha Franklin, Aerosmith, and hip hop greats such as Nas, P. Diddy, Kanye West, and the Wu Tang Clan. Theyve even performed for the current president of the United States! You may have seen a violin before in person or on TV, but do you notice anything unusual about this violin? Take a closer look at the man with the backwards cap (Kev Marcus). His violin has 4 strings, a bow, a fingerboard, tuning pegs, all of the usual components of a violin, but something seems to be missing... Its almost as if this violin has a frame but no body (compare it to the other string instrument being played). This is because it is an ELECTRIC VIOLIN. Electric violins work similarly to how an electric guitar might work and must be hooked up to an amplifier to produce enough sound (the music for this video was prerecorded, so no amplifier was needed in this case). Since the sound is produced and spread through electronics, the electric violin doesnt need a body to help amplify the sound. (Filmed in Brooklyn, NY)
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 15:54:16 +0000