Hip-hop duo Black Violin returns to Iowa at Capitol Theater

A half-decade has passed since the last Black Violin album, "Give Thanks," dropped. But the unique violin and viola playing hip-hop duo, finally finished the follow-up, "Full Circle," which will be previewed Friday at the Capitol Theater in Davenport.

"We literally completed the album in totality a week ago," viola player Wilner Baptiste said while calling from his South Florida home. "The album is being mastered now, and we'll play about five or six new songs when we come back to Iowa."

It's not easy for Baptiste to describe "Full Circle," which will be released by the end of the month, but the laid back, classically trained musician offers some details. "It's an evolution," Baptiste said. "There is a maturation. We took our time to make this album. We took two-and-a-half years to complete the project. Kevin and I let the songs marinate. Each song has a story to tell and reflects where we are as recording artists and individuals."

Unlike "Give Thanks," “Full Circle” was recorded with a band, which is comprised of a keyboardist, drummer and DJ. "We locked ourselves in a studio for a week and just threw stuff against the wall," Baptiste said. "This record is very organic and personal."

A hit from Black Violin sounds as unlikely as combining classical and hip-hop, which is what the act has been about since it formed in Miami in 2004. The unlikely fusion has been akin to a sonic chocolate meets peanut butter.

"It doesn't get any wider than classical and hip-hop, but we grew up on both and it gave us a career," Baptiste said.

Black Violin's sonic amalgam is unusual, but the act has found an audience that enjoys the unusual mix, which also includes funk and jazz. The tandem, which also includes violinist Kevin Sylvester, will try just about anything. Black Violin has covered balladeer Sam Smith's hit "Stay With Me" and recorded a mash-up of Cardi B and Mozart with the National Symphony Orchestra.

"We love a good challenge," Baptiste said. "We're not adverse to taking chances. If we had issues with that we would have never started doing this. Who would ever think that classical and hip-hop would work but it's been fine for us. We've been doing this for (20) years and it just keeps getting better."

Black Violin opts for experimentation over perfection. "To try to be perfect denies the process," Baptiste said. "We're always trying to learn."

Anything goes for Black Violin since the tandem came of age loving various styles of music. "We grew up listening to a lot of different recording artists and that had such an impact on us," Baptiste said. "It was everything from (jazz icon John) Coltrane to A System of a Down. Our tastes reflect who we are as musicians."

Black Violin has always made time to encourage children to embrace music.

"I know how kids are about practicing their instrument," Baptiste said "But all that work could lead to something amazing. Music gave me an escape. Music gave me the opportunity to dream. I'm grateful to all of the teachers I had. I'm right where I need to be because of the teachers. My message to kids is to give it their all when it comes to music. To do what we do requires dedication. That's how you end up having a career for over 20-years in this business. You must be dedicated."

Baptiste, 43, is helping guide his children, who are 9, 7 and 6 years old. "It's so gratifying watching my children perform," Baptiste said. "My (9-year-old) son is a drummer. My middle child is taking guitar lessons and my 6-year old is all over the place. You can encourage playing music but you can't force it. You introduce music and you see where it goes with children but I love it when a child becomes dedicated to the music."

The common denominator with Black Violin songs is that the tunes are uplifting. "We want to infiltrate the world with hope and love," Baptiste said. "We can do that with music and words."