Tag: The Swingle Singers

Black Violin Pike's Peak Center September 26, 2017 As a fan of classical music, I find myself also enjoying cross-genre takes on it. From the disco-inspired mini-anthologies of Hooked on Classics to the acapella versions created by The Swingle Singers, any unique take on the classical genre merely reminds me of how great the classics truly are. Of course, some of what gives classical music its charm is the full sound of an orchestra, each instrument providing a piece to a greater whole. When this style of music is compared to the heavy beats and synthesized remixing of hip-hop, there’s not very much in common. That’s where Black Violin begs to differ. These two musicians, Kev Marcus and Wil B., use only a violin and viola (respectively) to show how the hip-hop beat (i.e., the “kick, snare, kick, kick, snare”) can fuse with the classical sound typically associated with their string instruments. I know I’m usually turned off of the hip-hop genre due to the lyrics of many rappers,...