Black Violin to Release Debut Holiday Album

Black Violin, the Fort Lauderdale-based, classical-meets-hip-hop duo of Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste, will release Give Thanks, their debut holiday album, on Friday, November 20.

Give Thanks follows the Black Violin’s 2019 album Take The Stairs, which debuted in the top ten across multiple genre charts. Take The Stairs was praised by Loudwire, The Root, and Billboard, who said the album “celebrates Black Violin’s genre-less approach to music, from the futuristic anthem ‘One Step’ to the elaborate ‘Serenade.’” 

“Give Thanks employs playful storytelling, whimsical strings, and hard-hitting rhythms to highlight the unifying pillars of the holiday season: giving back to others and being wholeheartedly thankful,” Black Violin says of the full-length. 

Pre-pandemic, Black Violin was playing more than 200 shows a year, many for low-income students in urban communities, with the goal of challenging stereotypes and preconceived notions of what a “classical musician” looks and sounds like. 

“The stereotypes are always there, embedded so deep in our culture,” says Baptiste. “Just by nature of our existence we challenge those ideas. It’s a unique thing that brings people together who aren’t usually in the same room, and in the current climate, it’s good to bring people together.” 

Last year, the group launched the Black ViolinFoundation Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering youth by providing access to quality music programs in their community. The foundation believes that music and access to music programs should not be determined by race, gender, or socio-economic status. Black ViolinFoundation’s inaugural program, the Musical Innovation Grant for Continuing Education, will provide scholarships to young music students to attend a program of their liking that fosters musical creativity and innovation. Read more at http://www.blackviolinfoundation.org.