His Wikipedia page tells us that he has musical background in cello, beatboxing, saxophone, singing, and producing. He is most famous for inventing his musical combination of playing cello and beatboxing, what he terms “celloboxing.”
This video helps show the diverse musical background that
Kevin has come from. Actually, before researching into him, I only knew that he
played the cello, and was unaware that he also played the saxophone. This shows
him at a younger age and playing at Carnage Hall and displays his classical
background.
Kevin’s personal website displays his latest video recordings, where he’s been featured in the news, as well as info about him as an artist and his upcoming shows.
I guess I was inspired by the last post featuring Esperanza
and got to thinking about an artist that I used to listen to quite frequently.
Kevin Olusola is a cellist and beatboxer who combines these two forms of performance
in an incredibly unique way. I first discovered him on YouTube after coming across
the video, “Amazing Solo Cello Beatbox Combo.” I wasn’t sure if such a mix of
classical and hip hop styles would mesh, but the beatboxing provides the bass
and procession for the cello in a beautiful mixture. I think that the diversity
of Kevin’s styles show how much you can do with music when you expand beyond
pre-existing categories. He comes from a classical background; starting cello
when he was six and then saxophone when he was ten and performing in concert
halls. He then began singing and beatboxing in his band Pentatonix. It wasn’t
until later that came up with this style of music, coining it “celloboxing” and
performing solo songs ranging from top 40, to classical, to his own unique
compositions. His variety is unlike anything I have ever heard before and I
hope you enjoy this video as much as I do!