Music

Lower East Coast Is Bringing Miami’s Hipsters And Zine Fans To Allapattah

What’s News In This Story?


 

–Lower East Coast (3418 NW 7th Ave, Miami) is a small storefront that features zines and has a hipster feel.

-It’s one of those independent places that Miami doesn’t seem to have enough of.

–Founded by longtime friends and coworkers Steven Sanz and Rees Escobar, Lower East Coast is starting to get some buzz in the Miami artsy scene. 

–It also serves as a pop up venue for musicians that Lower East Coast Management represents, and others. 

–The shop is one of the anchors to a bunch of recent activity  in the Allapattah area. 

The full story: 

Lower East Coast is a small hipster shop that specializes in selling local zines, independent magazines and local apparel brands that are a bit obscure and weird.

It’s also something that co-founders Steven Sanz and Rees Escobar say that they have to do for Miami.

“We’ve been friends for a long time and we’ve been talking about doing something for Miami and this is what we landed on,” Sanz said in an interview with RISE NEWS.

The shop is an outgrowth of Lower East Coast Management, a local talent agency that manages the careers of artists like Denzel Curry and PSYCHIC MIRRORS.

Sanz and Escobar first met over 15 years ago and have similar interests.

They decided to launch a Lower East Coast storefront during last year’s Art Basel.

Since then, they have hosted a series of pop up events with artists they manage, and others.

They also sell street wear brands like the Miami based Stray Rats and their own original tees.

“Everything we do is small batch runs,” Sanz said. “What we do is very niche. When you work with the young art kids, the rarer it is, the cooler it is.”

The interior of the shop is an all-white industrial space with high ceilings. It also features wood bleachers were you can sit and read through the collection of rare zines.

Ultimately Sanz said that they are trying to create a sense of community in Miami with Lower East Coast.

“It’s inspired by places we visit in New York and London,” Sanz said. “We need more mom and pop shops here. It’s something we’re missing.”

***HOT TIP-  You can also watch World Cup games and hang at the store. Lower East Coast is also partnering with Hialeah thrift and consignment store, Ropa Vieja, to sell a variety of select 90’s soccer kits and a custom, limited edition World Cup T-shirt. 

**IF YOU GO: Open Wednesday through Sunday from 12 PM to 8 PM.

Lower East Coast (3418 NW 7th Ave, Miami, 33127)

——Here’s Something Completely Different: ——

The TV Weatherman Who Is Trying To Save Miami From Drowning

RISE NEWS is South Florida’s digital news network. Follow us on Facebook to make sure you never miss a story!

Have a news tip about this topic or something completely different? Send it to [email protected].

Tuscaloosa Music Profile: Elaphunk

Reporter Taylor Neuman talked to Tuscaloosa DJ Elaphunk about his start in the business and where he wants to go:

Misterwives Releases New Song After Long Wait

By Annika Dahlgren

If you’ve heard of American Authors, Twenty-One Pilots, or even X Ambassadors, you’re bound to have heard about MisterWives, one of the latest bands to steal the ears of many young people.

Their hit “Reflections” is easily recognized, but the song “Coffins” was most people’s first introduction to the band.

Misterwives. Photo Credit: Abby Gillardi/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

Lead singer Mandy Lee is the only woman in this alternative/Indie pop band joined by percussionist Etienne Bowler, bass guitarist William Hehir, guitarist Marc Campbell, and multi-instrumentalist Jesse Blum.

Read More: Can The 1975 Change The Music Industry As We Know It?

The band formed in 2012 and began performing in a small venue called the Canal Room in New York City.

The day after their performance, Photo Finish Records signed the band, and immediately they began work on their first EP, Reflections.

Since then, MisterWives has gained recognition for opening for Twenty-One Pilots and performing for MTV, VH1, and Jimmy Kimmel Live.

On February 17, their latest single “Machine” was released as a preview for their second album that will arrive later this year.

MisterWives is definitely a band you need to check out if you haven’t already.

Their unique sounds is mesmerizing, and you’ll get hooked immediately.

This is one of the up-and-coming bands that is going to become a household name, just wait and see.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: Abby Gillardi/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

Musical Revivalism May Be Bringing Us Back To The 1950s

By Savannah Bullard

History is often criticized for repeating itself.

Whether it is with politics, economics or social justice, people tend to avoid going back to what was meant to stay in the “good ol’ days.”

However, a surge of emerging musicians are breaking this trend.

The Economist describes soul music as a genre that “originated in the 1950s that grew out of the blues, R&B and African American church music.”

Some say the revivalism of “the oldies” began with Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Special” album, which included the ever-popular “Uptown Funk,” featuring Bruno Mars.

The funky beat and old school music video was a huge hit with younger audiences, introducing young people to the tunes that got our grandparents to get down.

Watch: Uptown Funk 

The trend continues with Meghan Trainor, who fuses 1950s pop and modern hip hop through songs like “All About That Bass” and “Like I’m Gonna Lose You (featuring John Legend).”

This year, some of the most famous artists of 2016 are coming out of hometown bars and theaters with sounds that only used to be popular in the mid-20th century.

Leon Bridges, for example, is a 26-year-old Texas native whose soulful sound captivated Spotify listeners and shot him to stardom.

Bridges quotes himself on his website saying “I’m not saying I can hold a candle to any soul musician from the ’50s and ’60s, but I want to carry the torch.”

Bridges’ popularity chips away at the stigma that all teens listen to nothing but top 40 and rap music. He closes a wide generational gap, which is hard to do when in this day and age, young people feel disconnected from their elders who “just do not understand.”

Bridges is an artist that anyone can love, and that connection is rarely seen nowadays, especially in the entertainment scene.

Watch: Leon Bridges’ Smooth Sailing

Young people are actually getting a slice of culture from artists like Bridges. His music pays homage to a beloved time period that cultivated artists like Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye. This was not just music; it was an entire way of life.

Bridges is doing an aesthetic favor by channeling this era through his sounds.

Young people pick up on this stuff, and their musical perspectives widen far beyond what is played on the radio.

The same can be said for musicians like Mumford and Sons, who recently traveled to India and Africa in order to incorporate those cultures into their work.

While this is a mix of traditional music from other civilizations instead of reviving a time period, the product is the same.

The new age incorporation of music from any culture or time period creates the most beautiful harmony that serves the same purpose.

Leon Bridges. Photo Credit: Kinsey Haynes

Leon Bridges. Photo Credit: Kinsey Haynes

Young people might not know it, but they are opening their minds to a whole new world of music. It is as if these artists are teachers by extension, offering a bit of history through their music for us to learn.

The Sugarman 3 frontman and Daptone Records co-founder Neil Sugarman says in an Economist article that “even with her big pop hit ‘Rehab,’ it was honest to Amy [Winehouse]. It was real. That’s the essence of soul music. It’s honest.”

This example speaks to a lot of emerging artists who do not want to become one-hit wonders or fall into the mainstream of bubblegum pop and modern rap music.

Soul singers are those who embrace struggle in their recordings, and wearing their hearts on their sleeves is what sells out concerts.

Watch: Mumford and Songs’ Wona

In the 1960s, African American jazz musicians wrote of their hardships with civil rights and the struggle of living in a time of racism and misfortune.

Their music was raw and uncaged; they made their voices heard through their music, because in that time, music was one of the few options that allowed them to do so.

And today, this is the very same concept that these new-age soul singers try to embody.

A song so deep and meaningful will catch the heart of a listener, while more mainstream tunes might be fun for a moment, but get skipped the next time they appear in a playlist.

Young people like connections, and sharing the feelings that are sung in a favorite song makes them love that musician much more than cookie-cutter pop singers.

These are songs that urge people to look up lyrics, decipher meanings, figure out the intention behind the art. These songs make the listener want to know the artist, not just enjoy the work.

Whether or not this trend will last remains in ambiguity, because not even the most profound musicologists can predict what teens will love next.

Leon Bridges. Photo Credit: Kinsey Haynes

Leon Bridges. Photo Credit: Kinsey Haynes

For decades, country music stays consistently popular, but still gets tweaked each year by whatever artists who make it big.

And as long as we have prepubescent teenage girls and boys, upbeat breakup songs and boy bands will never go out of style.

However, the love of soul is proven to be more than just a music style.

The fluidity and swagger of soul outlasts many other genres, and manages to stay consistent at the top of the charts.

So while other styles continue to change and evolve, soul will remain timeless.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

Photo Essay: Goodbye (For Now) To Hong Kong’s Hipster Paradise Hidden Agenda

By Sing Lee

HONG KONG- Hidden Agenda, the largest performing venue dedicated to indie music in Hong Kong, is being evicted for its third time since its founding seven years ago, due to “land use abuses”.

The current 3,600-square-foot unit, which can accommodate about 300 people, is located in Ngau Tau Kok industrial district, a home to a lot of band rooms, movie production studios, churches and martial art training centers.

ha-7

ha-27

ha-23

These alternative uses of industrial buildings are violating the land lease agreements, which ban the sites from being use as any purpose other than “industrial and/or warehouse”.

Read More: There’s A Bleak Outlook For Artists And Businesses In Industrial buildings

The venus received a rectification order from the Lands Department in June this year, while they made an agreement with the landlord to move out this month.

ha-3

ha-20

ha-2

The order was based on two land lease agreements issued by the government in 1967 and 1973, when manufacturing industries was still a pillar economic sector of Hong Kong.

Industrial building users has been asking for legislative amendment on the regulations including place for public entertainment licences, fire safety regulations and land lease terms, to adapt to the change of usages as time goes by.

Read More: Hong Kong Channel ViuTV Just Suspended A Reality Show With Pro-Independence Content

Open in 2009, Hidden Agenda has been a home to shows performed by both local and international units, such as the American recording artist Toro Y Moi.

The live house’s team initialed a crowd-funding project its fourth generation in September, raising HK $517,000 in a week from the public.

ha-68

ha-54They are acquiring a food factory licence, rather than a place for public entertainment licences they failed to apply for, to operate legally as a tuck shop which provide live music for its customers.

The venue will be re-opened in December this year at its new address, while its last show for now, called “Continue to Grow”, was held on 10 October.

This photo essay records the yet final performance at what the audience called “HA 3.0”, indicating its third location, and the disassembling of the stage immediately afterwards.

Read More: How Nathan Law Is Representing A New Generation Of Leadership In Hong Kong

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

You can also like our RISE NEWS Hong Kong Facebook page to stay engaged with our local coverage. 

Photo Credits: Sing Lee

GB: A Unique Hip-Hop Hopeful Hailing From Boca

When I first met GB three years ago, I didn’t know at the time of his ambitions and goals nor of the immense level of talent he had.

I only knew him as a young man looking to get initiated into the fraternity that I was advising at the time.

Flash forward three years later and he’s on the cusp of reaching the next level.

GB is the definition of a millennial artist using the resources at his fingertips to put his music out there and take advantage of the open web to leave his mark. It was important for me to use the platform I have elevate GB to a larger audience.

I remember distinctly hearing GB play his guitar here and there and I thought, man this kid has talent. Of course I didn’t know what was yet to come. From performing at sorority philanthropy events to performing at actual nightclubs for the first time, his future is brighter than ever.

I asked GB, who is now in his senior year at Florida Atlantic University if he wouldn’t mind me speaking with me to share his story, his ideas and his passion.

RISE: First off, tell the readers something you want them to know about you?

Something you should know about me is that I do my best to keep out negative energy. Positivity is the answer to life, you can do and be anything in the world. If you believe in yourself and set your sights on goals that incorporate your passions and talents, you will be successful.

Screen Shot 2016-08-29 at 9.12.20 PM

RISE: When did you know you wanted to pursue music?

I knew I wanted to pursue music the day that I turned 20. I released my first album “Phenom” along with 20 tracks that featured my rap and singing debut. I could feel in my heart everything seeming to fall into place, each time I write, reminisce or think up something new. Music is truly my love and passion, no matter what comes out of it, I feel accomplished in knowing that.

RISE:When you dropped your first album “Phenom” what did that feel like?

It felt nice dropping my first album “Phenom” with 20 tracks because it was [and is] something that rarely anyone is doing. The doubt of my peers really pushes me harder and harder everyday, support definitely builds you the most though. I released my second album “The Bakery” with 21 tracks just to prove to people I could do it again and come even hotter. With my third album release “TRILLA G,” it was all about capturing the best aspects of my artistry. I released 8 tracks that all pushed for futuristic style and vision. My main goal now is to just keep pushing singles in hopes of making that one hit song that everyone falls in love with.

RISE:Who are your musical influences?

My biggest musical influences at the moment would have to be Bryson Tiller, Jeremih, Chance the Rapper & Frank Ocean. My passion for music started with John Mayer but I really enjoy listening to music that enhances my ear for R&B influenced hip hop.

RISE:Who are you listening to right now?

I am really selective with what I am listening to, I have been listening to Frank Ocean’s new album “Blonde.” I am in love with the pop influenced vocals; With this type of sound coming back into the mainstream, as well as influencing myself, my own music is being taken with ease to listeners of all genres.

Screen Shot 2016-08-29 at 9.12.06 PM

RISE:Who would be your dream collaboration?

I would love to make a dope R&B influenced track with Bryson Tiller or a party influenced hit with Chance the Rapper.

RISE:Who are other up and coming artists that you have worked with in South Florida that you hope make it big?

My favorite artists in Boca Raton are Mansa, Vaughny Vo & Ali Embry. I have worked with plenty of producers & engineers that deserve credit too: MaClean Studios, Influence Studios, Lykia, Equus & more. They have all been big parts of my evolved sounds and I appreciate all their efforts and advice. Other than that, I have worked with so many artists, going on 100 hip hop songs in the past two years. I really enjoy working with people and making music that people can enjoy and possess as their own as well. That is what it is all about.

RISE:Tell me about what it’s like working with other people who are also trying to break into the music scene?

It is great finding those artists that have the same mindset as you. A lot of people are really only focused on breaking into the music scene and don’t have the talent or work ethic that comes with that success. The best collaborations are when the music comes from the heart, you should take each confrontation and learn from it. Each artist I have made music with has taught me something whether it be what to do or what not to do.

Listen to one of GB’s songs: 

RISE:How would you describe your sound?

The sound that I am consistently working towards in my own mind is a mix of positive catchy lyrics, a marketable theme throughout, hard-hitting instrumentals topped with impressive pop vocals that could impress any listener with soothing melodies. I am very persistent on my new sounds being based around my singing.

RISE:How often do you go into the studio to record?

I record at least a couple of times a week. I have 4 studios in Boca that I flip flop between and make my music at. When it comes down to it, I built my own recording studio in my room and I am able to record literally at any moment of the day. Whenever I am feeling something heavily, I will not wait around, I definitely feel at home in the studio.

RISE:Do you ever feel creatively stifled? If so how do you combat that?

Most definitely, it happens to the best of us. Whenever I am feeling stuck on something, I will just put it away and work on another topic. It always seems to brighten a new light when I come back to something at another time with a fresh mind and full attention.

RISE:What is the headspace you put yourself in when you go into the recording studio?

I really just put it in my head to be comfortable. You never want to push it too hard or blurt something too loud, studio recording is a lot different than singing live. By the time I get in the studio I know the lyrics so well that I really try and focus on the pronunciation of every word and melody.

RISE:If you wish you wrote any one specific lyric or bar, what would it be and why?

There are countless lyrics that I love to be honest? In every song there is something that I probably enjoy most about it, but when I first started rhyming I said “Like a foreign student way he study abroad, know the heavens must be the real the way she shaped by the gods, GB must stand for Gary Blessed…” and that was how I was stuck with “Gary Blessed” being the acronym for my initials GB. Before that song, GB just stood for Gary Baker.

RISE:What was it like to take the stage truly for the first time at Crowbar in Tampa, your hometown?

It felt so nice to be on stage performing the sounds that I had been working so hard on. I had been on stages before considering I have been making music since I was 16 and played in my own band in high school, but this was definitely the first time it was 100% my music. It felt like the start of destiny.

RISE:What is your end goal with your music?

I have really grown an obsession with music, my first end goal started out just getting a feature with my favorite rapper at the time, Cam Meekins. My ultimate end goal would be me as a major recording artists, the executive of my own label, have a few businesses that incorporate my own brand and different lifestyle aspects, and consistently release music that is noticed and perceived by the world in a positive way. In the least, I want to be recognized in the music industry and make a living from it.

You can check out all of GB’s music here: https://soundcloud.com/garyblessed

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: GB/ Instagram

A Tale Of Two Sara(h)’s: Why SaraBeth And Sarah Dunn Are Two Of Country’s Rising Stars

While they may be from two different regions in the United States, there are two young artists who are shaking country music up and making the millennial generation proud too.

They are Sarah Dunn, from the Sarah Dunn Band and SaraBeth.

They have a lot in common, including the fact that both just released their latest works in the past few weeks.

The Sarah Dunn Band released their album “Wild Wild Heart” and SaraBeth released her EP “Full Speed Ahead”

Sarah Dunn Band and SaraBeth thank social media for giving the greatest push in obtaining their “trending” status in the country music scene.

BUT they come from very different walks of life.

Sarah Dunn is from Monett, Missouri, where she grew up on a small farm along with her father and mother.

Musical talent ran in her family as she saw her father perform musically often while she was a little girl. Her great grandfather also played the fiddle.

WATCH: Sarah Dunn Band’s song “You or the Whiskey” 

And, it was that musical family that taught her all she knows about music.

Why?

Because that is all the training that she had.

“There was a time in my life that I was working two regular day jobs, and it seemed like there was never enough to make ends meet,” Sarah Dunn said in an interview with RISE NEWS. “This situation made my path difficult but it also made me stronger.”

READ MORE: Up And Coming Country Star Mitchell Tenpenny Is Proving Nashville’s Relevancy

On the other side of the equation, we have, SaraBeth.

Growing up in the suburbs in Dallas, SaraBeth decided to dip into her toes into the country music scene after being pushed by her brother’s success in baseball.

WATCH: SaraBeth’s “Nowhere With You” 

“My younger brother got drafted to play for the St. Louis Cardinals, and, being able to see my little brother accomplish this dream by battling all the negative thoughts and comments in his path, that inspired me to follow mine too,” SaraBeth said.

Interestingly, SaraBeth went on to study entrepreneurship at Baylor University.

After that, she went to the epicenter of country music, Nashville to start her career.

And then, success came, and their worlds collided.

READ MORE: New Jersey Girl Lacey Caroline Tries To Break Into Country Music Scene

Sarah Dunn Band and SaraBeth have performed in the same concerts before and have mutual respect for each other.

“Sarah Dunn and her band are absolutely amazing. They are very genuine and those are the types of people that you want to be surrounded in this industry,” SaraBeth said. “We both are in an industry that is usually connected to money, success and ambition, and Sarah Dunn and her band feel like home when you are surrounded by them.”

Sarah Dunn had positive things to say about all the artists hustling in the musical world, including SaraBeth.

“In the society that we live now, it is extremely important to be uplifting to others. I don’t really view them as competition because everything is unique and shines on their own light,” Sarah Dunn said. “There is so much opportunity to grow and help grow each other. We have to celebrate each other. That is a wonderful thing.”

For more about each artist, you can visit: 

SarahDunnBand.com

SaraBethMusic.com

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: SaraBeth/ Facebook

The Magic City Hippies Are Ready For Prime Time

By Tyler Cianciulli

The Magic City Hippies are a Miami-based indie-funk band that has experienced a well deserved recent surge in popularity.

The band has been steadily gaining notoriety for a few years, and now it seems like the opportunities are rolling in.

Robby Hunter, Pat Howard, and John Coughlin are the three men behind the band.

They credit the Miami music scene for their development over time.

Since the Magic City Hippies’ epicenter is right here in our backyard, they are looking forward to branching out and incorporating some of the wild and interesting elements of South Florida culture.

I spoke to the band, and asked them a few questions about what we can expect to see from them in the future.

WATCH: Magic City Hippies’ “Bull Ride

RISE NEWS: Are you working on anything right now?

Magic City Hippies: “Right now, we’re focused on working on our new album. It is going to be a mix of new songs and old songs. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are really excited about what is to come. We’ve been working on incorporating a more distinct salsa vibe, with an emphasis on high energy funk. Before our album drops, we plan on releasing two singles.”

RISE NEWS: Tell me about your last performance.

Hippies: “We actually played the Heat game recently. We were on the court, and on national television. They had us play before Game 1 of the Playoffs – and at halftime.”

RISE: How did the Miami music scene influence your music?

Hippies: “Performing in Miami has provided so many opportunities. There really aren’t too many spots better for emerging talent. We’ve tried to embrace our environment by incorporating a more tropical, Spanish vibe. We want to make music people want to dance to.”

RISE: What do you do when you’re not on stage?

Hippies: “Well, right now we are in the process of organizing our band as a business. This is often tough for indie artists because we aren’t connected to a major label. This means that we have to provide the money and the resources that a record agency would provide. We actually have a bunch of people on our payroll now. We are teachers, graphic designers, capitalists, and most importantly, musicians.”

RISE: Tell me a funny story from your recent tour.

Hippies: “We were about two hours outside of Flagler, Colorado, when we got stuck in a huge blizzard. We were on the way back home from a string of concerts and the last thing we wanted was a delay. The roads were so bad we were actually stranded for a while. It was actually John’s first time ever seeing snow.”

RISE: Do you have any advice for hopeful musicians?

Hippies: “Fake it till you make it.”

WATCH: Magic City Hippies’ “Hush”:

I actually saw the Magic City Hippies at the Virginia Key Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance.

Their live performances are unrivaled, their music is trendy, and their image of a Florida born-and-raised band resonates with their listeners.

It seems as if the Magic City Hippies are starting to corner a genre that they are simultaneously pioneering.

I am excited to hear the band’s planned singles and working album.

The Magic City Hippies are currently on a tour of South Miami. You can learn more by visiting their website: magiccityhippies.com

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: Magic City Hippies/Youtube

Black Violin: “We Studied Classical, But We Lived Hip-Hop”

Kev Marcus (Kevin Sylvester) and Wil B. (Wilner Baptiste) are some of the hottest names in classical music today. They’ve also made a splash in hip-hop circles for their work, which makes them a pretty unlikely success story.

Together they form Black Violin, a hip-hop, classically influenced violin and viola duo.

This talented pair creates a unique and genuine sound that is redefining current and past musical genres and it all started at a South Florida high school, where the two met years ago.

Their music was formed from a blend of their classical training and musical taste in hip-hop.

“We didn’t try to do this, and that is why it works- we were it,” Kev Marcus said in an interview with RISE NEWS.

Their sound incorporates qualities of both genres into one, eloquent blend. It is a sound unlike any other that identifies the similar chord structures between the two genres, while also illuminating the tonal differences.

WATCH: Black Violin’s “Stereotypes”

“Classical is pure, naked, and vulnerable,”Kev Marcus said. “There is a fragility to it that mirrors hip hop’s rigid feel.”

Black Violin creates a sound that challenges people’s perceptions, and inspires others to think outside the box.

They also are not afraid to take a stand on issues impacting people’s lives.

“When coming up with the music we weren’t thinking about how as black men we can change people’s perceptions, it was just a natural reaction for us,” Kev Marcus said.

885066_10153456075828848_7130899076018456022_o

Kev Marcus (Kevin Sylvester) and Wil B. (Wilner Baptiste) make up Black Violin. Photo Credit: Black Violin/ Facebook

He said their goal is to break down stereotypes that keep people from expressing themselves and creating something new and innovative.

Their music always comes first, but social activism and influence emanates from their sound, their image, and the way their music relates to a universal crowd.

“Stereotypes” is one of Black Violin’s most popular songs, and it features Kev Marcus’s three daughters, wife, and mother.

As musicians, Black Violin is genuine and groundbreaking; but the emotion behind their sound is a powerful quality of their music.

Kev Marcus described that their intention is to convey emotion in what they play.

“I want you to feel invigorated, inspired, happy, and so on,” Kev Marcus said.

Black Violin’s music does just that and more.

Listen: Black Violin’s “Shaker” 

Their sound is relatable for people of all backgrounds and ages, and represents timeless qualities of music in a revolutionary way.

Black Violin demonstrates how musical genres can be transformed and redefined to create insightful expressions of emotion and tone.

If hip-hop is raw and rugged, and classical is naked and vulnerable, their music allows their listeners to find catharsis in the balanced blend of the two sensations.

Black Violin is about to go on a tour of Europe. For more info, you can visit their website: www.blackviolin.net

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: Black Violin/ Youtube (Screengrab)

Scroll to top