Kev Marcus, left, and Wil B invented a whole new genre of music.
Wilner “Wil B” Baptiste and Kevin “Kev Marcus” Sylvester have come a long way from sharing a music stand in their high school orchestra in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The members of the duo known as Black Violin (with Baptiste on viola and Sylvester on violin) have sold out Lincoln Center and played for President Obama’s inauguration. Their albums have appeared in the Top 10 on the Billboard Classical Crossover and R&B charts. They’ve collaborated with the Wu-Tang Clan, Wyclef Jean and Alicia Keys, and have shared stages with some of music’s biggest names, including Kanye West, Aerosmith and Tom Petty.
The group, which plays Overture Center’s Capitol Theater on May 3, actually invented an entirely new genre of music.
“I originally wanted to play the saxophone,” Wil B tells Isthmus in a recent phone interview. “And Kevin was getting into trouble, so his mom signed him up for music lessons. The violin was the only thing they had left.”
As the teens learned their new string instruments, they talked about the music they listened to outside of class and realized that their tastes were similar — both loved hip-hop by artists like Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. They dreamed of becoming major music producers. Instead they merged the genres they were passionate about to invent a sound they call “classical boom.”
“We started performing at local clubs and people were amazed,” says Will B. “They never heard anything like it. Then we went to Miami, doing shows anywhere someone would let us.” Because their style is unique and somewhat hard to explain, many club managers would turn them down cold. “So we’d go out to the parking lot and get our instruments out of the trunk and just start playing. Pretty soon a crowd would form, and then most times, the manager would tell us, OK be back here at 7,” he says.
The group’s big break came in 2005 when they were declared the winners of Amateur Night at the Apollo. Taking the stage in jeans, sneakers and baggy T-shirts, they dazzled the audience with their own classically influenced versions of pop and hip-hop songs such as Biggie’s “Juicy” and Michael Jackson’s “Rock with You.” Suddenly they were getting calls from Alicia Keys’ manager. They’ve been recording, touring, and leading arts outreach programs ever since.
These days they perform with a percussionist and a DJ, and the majority of their concerts feature original compositions. “We can play anything we want, bridging these two worlds,” says Wil B. “Hip-hop is one of those things that’s incredibly infectious. And while classical music sometimes has a snobby, sophisticated vibe, our audiences understand it doesn’t have to be like that. We get ’em to move and groove.”
Wil B says the music of Black Violin acts as a bridge, drawing people of all ages, ethnicities and musical tastes together in one audience: “It’s extremely powerful. Basically, we attract audiences who just want a great experience. It’s a clean show. It’s soulful. So bring your kids, your grandmother — even that cousin you don’t like very much. Bring him. They’re all going to have an amazing time.”
