From the birds and the bees, to family trees.: The 2CELLOS. Kings of not-so-classic.

The 2CELLOS. Kings of not-so-classic.
2 March 2014

I’ve always had a terribly soft spot for classical music. Rather surprising, I suppose, given my very Rock ‘n Roll upbringing.

Yet both of my folks also had a deep fondness for classical music. Most likely inherited from their parents. In our home, loud popular, rock ‘n roll and blues music reigned all day and every day. But Sundays? Well Sundays, especially Sunday mornings, were reserved for classical music. Loud classical music, to be exact. Booming and resonating throughout our home.

Both sets of grandparents had rather extensive classical music collections. In particular, my mom’s folks. And in my maternal Oupa and Ouma’s home, classical music, was simply always the flavour of the day. My Ouma Helene softly humming along, and my Oupa Willem occasionally singing along loudly. Lots of “pom-pa-rom-pom-pom”. And gesticulation too. Sweeping arm movements, like he himself was conducting this great orchestra.

Between them, my grandparents, can play the piano, the guitar, the mandolin, the violin, the trumpet, the French Horn, and so the list goes on.

In addition, I played the piano from the age of 6. And back in those days, the only piano training received, was classical. And hence my classical education ensued. Contemporary piano was not on offer, or even an option. If you wanted to play something popular or modern, you had to do so by ear. Or get sheet music somewhere.

And basically, I tell you all this, to paint you a picture. A picture of a classical music background, despite my very deep Rock ‘n Roll roots.

Perhaps this has aided me, and been a life skill, in acquiring a very vast and diverse musical taste. Spanning a whole spectrum of musical styles.

But, at the centre of it all, classical music will always have the softest spot in my heart. Not only the classical style of music, but the sounds of instruments typically used in classical music.

Given the fact that I’ve spent many, many, many hours in front of a piano, the sound of piano music, still fills my soul.

And every so often, I still dip into a spot of classical. It soothes me. I often catch myself, trolling the aisles doing my grocery shopping, humming or whistling Bizet’s Carmen. Such an awesome piece of music. Extremely evocative and emotional.

And then, just a few days ago, I spotted something on Facebook, that caught my eye. Quite a few people shared a YouTube clip, simply called, “2CELLOS – Thunderstruck”.

And that was me. Cello’s are fabulous instruments. They really are. Super imposing, due to their size alone. And as for their awesome rich sound? Well, what’s not to love? Now combine the cello, with the ACDC classic, Thunderstruck (an all-time favourite song), and I simply had to investigate further.

I was not disappointed! A few days later, and I’ve successfully driven my family nuts. I can’t stop from listening to it over and over. Watching it too.

It is actually quite simple – two cellists, dressed in time period garb, playing a modern song, to an unsuspecting audience.

You know what? My family was equally charmed. All of my kids, are extremely familiar with the song, Thunderstruck. I saw it as part of my parental duties, to educate them in the finer nuances of great songs, like this. Luckily for me, it struck a chord with all three of them. And they love it too. And thus, seeing a favourite song, performed in this unusual manner, delighted them no end. They were spellbound.

The first time I saw the clip, I was convinced it was a hoax. And so, I consulted, Snopes. The known authority on sniffing out the fakes.

But alas, the 2CELLOS are very much real. Two genuine musicians, plying their trade. Heralding from Croatia. Doing covers of “classical” rock ‘n roll and popular songs, with their chosen, if rather unusual instruments.

And would you believe it? They sell out huge concert venues.

Not that I’m really surprised. I’d pay good money, to see them too.

And so, without any further ado, I present to you, the 2CELLOS. Prepare to be amazed.

You’ll be hooked too.

Just to give you some perspective. This video was uploaded on to YouTube just two weeks ago. They’ve already had more than 8 000 000 views. Pretty impressive. They’re clearly making waves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT3SBzmDxGk

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