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The sound of a piano may be transcending. From style to style, the infectiously soothing and typically even heartbreaking melody of keys being depressed alongside the simultaneous strike of strings has saved us in a musical chokehold because the early 18th century.
Now within the twenty first century, the piano has developed in methods which can be fully shifting the approach in how the proficient people who name themselves pianists are in a position to create these sounds that may simply tug at our personal heartstrings. We acquired a cool reminder not too way back by means of Casio as they celebrated the twentieth anniversary of its fan-favorite Privia digital piano.
As you’ll be able to see under with the brand new PX-S7000, they’re celebrating the event with one critically clear set of keys.
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The festivities acquired us fascinated by numerous occasions all through Black music historical past the place the piano performed a big position within the hit-making course of. NYC rap king Nas and producer Salaam Remi for instance reworked the centuries-old basic of “Für Elise” by Ludwig Van Beethoven into an uplifting banger within the early 2000s along with his God’s Son single, “I Can,” by means of an unforgettable piano pattern. A part of the attraction that even gave pop queen Adele crossover attraction in current occasions has been these soul-baring ballads that always are accompanied by simply her powerhouse voice and a piano taking part in. Nonetheless, to actually make the purpose clear, all you’ve acquired to do is take a look at how the grand (or upright!) instrument has created generations of our favourite Black music icons.
From Alicia to Nina, Stevie to Johnny — Legend, that’s! — Lenny to Lionel and a handful of pioneers in-between that even precede these aforementioned legends by a long time, there are various examples of Black musicians who excelled as pianists as effectively. We put collectively an inventory of the grand greats in your listening pleasure, and we extremely suggest utilizing this as a place to begin to do some digging within the crates by yourself time and uncover much more into this influential nook of our tradition.
Maintain scrolling for a sonically pleasing lesson in Black music historical past with the piano by means of the numerous Black musicians over time who made positive to indicate off their expertise as an distinctive pianist as effectively:
Alicia Keys
Prince
Ray Charles
Stevie Surprise
John Legend
Fat Domino
Nina Simone
Lenny Kravitz
Booker T. Jones
Lionel Richie
Aretha Franklin
Nat King Cole
Artwork Tatum
Thelonious Monk
Carmen McRae
Bud Powell
Depend Basie
Herbie Hancock
Henry Butler
Hazel Scott
