A hybrid of classical and modern music has always been a challenge. For those that seek to listen to something new and refreshing, these mash-ups are quite rare, mostly emanating from fusions between jazz and other traditional musical genres. There are few modern musical acts that take the classical, avantgarde musical approach. The first group of musicians that made the breakthrough were Finnish Apocalyptica with their more metallic adapted method to one of the warmest sounds there is in violoncello, but not everyone likes the darker tones they tend to play. For those into more of a pop-ish blend with a remarkable rock approach, there is 2Cellos, a Slovenian-Croatian cello duo consisting of classically trained Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser.
The musical duo formed in Zagreb, Croatia, 2Cellos is composed by Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser who are classically trained cellists that have met while learning how to master their instruments. Somewhere along the way, these two musicians decided to take their knowledge into a different direction, that of re-arranging songs they cherished to be played in the cellos. As many classical musicians, their taste goes beyond their field of expertise, so the songs they have chosen in much differ from a Ludwig van Beethoven symphony or an Antonio Vivaldi Baroque arrangement.
In the process of exploring the world of alternative music, the 2Cellos duo went to rearrange classics with a modern musical vibe. This process meant that the duo had to take the original material and get it to fit the tuning of one of the most clever sets of strings, yet orchestrally enchanting. In the overall setting of modern music, both guitars and bass are almost quintessential for any composition. Both of them are in the same scale range as cellos, so the issue there was to apply to the techniques that both cellists learnt in their classical training to be faithful with the tempo of the original material. Once the arrangements were completed, there was nothing left to do except risk it all and expose their sonorous art to the world.
First discovered in 2013 after being a YouTube sensation with their cover of ‘Smooth Criminal,’ originally released in 1987 by now deceased pop musician Michael Jackson, 2Cellos has gone from anonymity to sudden success. Their videos are mostly low-budget, where the two chamber musicians allow the anchoring of their passion for music bloom. Such is the case in point regarding their infamous video cover of ‘Thunderstruck’ from AC/DC and their re-arrangement of the intro for ‘The Trooper’ from Iron Maiden, where these two cellists unleash their souls on the stage.
[blockquote cite=”Luka Šulić”]I think, to make a video that people will share and love, it does not have to be a big budget video, it just has to have a cool idea and a great arrangement, and something that will make people share it and love it.[/blockquote]
2Cellos performances are so energetic that last year during their tour in the United States, Stjepan Hauser suffered a neck injury. If you thought that a cellist could not get a severe injury, you should see their live performances on their official Youtube Channel and witness that their way of playing the cello is very physical, which clearly has to do with the passion they feel driven from what they are playing, being a song like ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ from Nirvana or a classical chamber composition.
2Cellos carries authenticity, passion and a great sense of humour into their show, a fact that has been praised worldwide as they had toured with Elton John and on their own. In their shows, mixed generations and different musical inclinations are gathered to enjoy a surprisingly great show. With this said, Colombia will have the chance to experience 2Cellos performance live this upcoming September 28th, 2016 at the Chamorro Entertainment City Hall, in Bogotá. If you want to take the chance to be shaken, tickets are available for sale at TuBoleta from $167,000 Colombian Pesos ($50) to $312,000 COP ($90) which includes the service’s cost.
