Stereotype-defying Black Violin returns to Charlotte

BLACK VIOLIN

The Black Violin partnership between Kev Marcus (left) and Wil Baptist extends to their youth as students at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They will perform Feb. 18 at Belk Theater.

Black Violin breaks music stereotypes.

The duo’s Full Circle Tour is coming to the Belk Theater on Feb. 18. at 7 p.m. Black Violin – Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus – got their start in 2004 at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where they shared classes. What began as hearing songs on the radio and playing them in class eventually led to national tours and Grammy nominations.

“We didn’t think that we would make a career out of it,” Baptiste said. “But that’s kind of the way that it started and fast forward to today, we just took that same energy, just being ourselves and doing what feels right to us creatively.”

The tour is a reflection on how Baptiste and Marcus have grown as artists and men. 

“I think one distinctive difference, because of what the album is, we were approaching more of a storytelling, so we're going to take you guys on a journey of what 20 years of Black Violin sounded like,” Baptiste said.

Baptiste adds Black Violin will bring that energy to Charlotte with songs from their new album that showcase how they’ve grown sonically.

“It's always very striking in person,” he said. “Number one, it's kind of loud in here. And two, you don't think of loudness as it relates to violin. It's a rock concert. It's a hip hop concert, but just instead of your typical instruments, you got violins, violas, you got a DJ, you got a drummer, you got a keyboardist, and that in itself, that's a crazy mix to be on stage.” 

Black Violin has blended classical music with hip-hop and other genres over five albums, creating a sound that pushes the norm. 

“I think the instrument itself has been put in a box in a lot of ways. If you think of what a guitar is, you don't think of a guitar as one specific thing or one specific genre,” Baptiste said, “so I think we’ve pushed against that probably most, this violin could be used for anything.” 

Being Black in the classical music world comes with stereotypes. Black Violin has been pushing back against the idea that someone must look a certain way to succeed in the space.

“I think when you see me as Black dude, 6-foot-2, walking and you see a case, I get this all the time, literally every single time I’m at the airport,” Baptiste said. “People are never going to assume that it’s a violin or a viola, they’re going to say tuba, which does not look like a tuba case.” 

The Black Violin Foundation aims to break those stereotypes by providing technical training and the room for students to creatively explore. The foundation’s mission is making sure students feel that they do belong and can be in a classical space unapologetically.

“We see Black Violin as something that is much bigger than two individuals,” Baptiste said. “It’s much bigger. We’re very impactful to these kids, so we feel like we have a responsibility to inspire and uplift, and we don't take that lightly. It may take time. You find yourself within that instrument, it’s amazing how you can transform, but also how you can approach not just music, but life in general.”

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