© 2024 NPR Illinois
The Capital's Community & News Service
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
WUIS Classic is a 24/7 classical music service. Check here for information on the classical music world, special local classical music stories and productions from WUIS.Listen to WUIS Classic on an HD Radio at 91.9-3 HD or stream it here.Performance Today no longer streams on WUIS Classic, however the stream of the latest program is posted here shortly after the show is complete.

Black Violin Will Take On "Stereotypes" In Springfield

courtesy

A duo that's performed hundreds of times across the country sharing a unique blend of classical, hip hop and other contemporary music will be in Springfield on Saturday, Sept. 23rd. During performances Black Violin consists of a D.J. and backing band; at its center however are Wil B. who plays viola and Kev Marcus who plays violin. This tour in part is promoting their newest album, called Stereotypes

We spoke with Marcus, who talks about the concept for the album and how the current political climate is shaping the messages behind the music. You can listen to that below:

Tickets to the show can be found here. Here is thedescription of the group and event from the Sangamon Auditorium website:

To most people, jazz, hip-hop, funk, and classical are musical genres.  But to revolutionary music group Black Violin, they're nothing but ingredients.  Combining a daunting array of musical styles and influences to produce a signature sound that is not quite maestro, not quite emcee, this group of two classically trained violinists and their DJ is redefining the music world one string at a time.  With influences ranging from Shostakovich and Bach to Nas and Jay-Z, Black Violin breaks all the rules, blending the classical with the modern to create something rare – a sound that nobody has ever heard but everybody wants to feel.  In an age where music is coming to be more and more defined by the labels given to it, Black Violin shows that music does not exist within a box, but rather exists in another space – one as open and unrestrained as the minds that produce it.

Rachel Otwell of the Illinois Times is a former NPR Illinois reporter.
Related Stories