E-mail a friendMiri Ben-Ari
airdate October 18, 2005
Known as the 'hip-hop violinist,' Miri Ben-Ari mixes classical, jazz and hip-hop styles. Mentored by Isaac Stern and Wynton Marsalis, the Israeli-born virtuoso was given her first violin by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. During her mandatory military service, she was part of the Israeli Army String Quartet. Ben-Ari fell in love with jazz, relocated to NYC and studied in the "Jazz Ahead" program. A much sought-after collaborator, she won a Grammy for co-writing 'Jesus Walks' on Kanye West's smash CD.
Miri Ben-Ari
Tavis: Miri Ben-Ari is a talented musician, producer, and composer known in music circles as the hip-hop violinist. She's performed with some of the biggest names in the business, and won a Grammy last year for the Kanye West song which I love, 'Jesus Walks.' The Israeli native is now on tour with Busta Rhymes; has released her debut disc called 'The Hip-Hop Violinist.' Later on, she'll perform a song from the new CD. Very nice to meet you.
Miri Ben-Ari: Nice to meet you, too.
Tavis: Glad to have you on the program.
Ben-Ari: Glad to be here.
Tavis: How did all this happen? From starting out as a classically trained violinist.
Ben-Ari: In Israel.
Tavis: Yeah, in Israel.
Ben-Ari: It's, like, in my career, everything started, like, on the wrong side. Like, you know, I'm from Israel, from the Middle East, and I played classical music, so this was my starting point. And then I went all the way to hip-hop to being the hip-hop violinist, so it was quite a transition, I would say. But, you know, it's just, life is just like that. If you believe in something, and even if you're different, you're not afraid to speak out, and stick to your violin, then things, eventually, will work out for you.
Which, actually, happened in my case because I came to the United States to study jazz. I always believed that if you can improvise, you can be original, and have your own music, original thoughts, you know, being played out to people. In classical music we usually, we kind of interpreted, other people's, other composers' thoughts, and I wanted to write music for myself. So, I came here to study jazz, and then, eventually, I started playing hip-hop and R&B. I hooked up with Wyclef Jean, then with Jay-Z, and then with Kanye West, and got signed to Universal Records.
Actually, my career kind of blew up on TV because it was, like, people saw me on TV, and they just - wanted more. So they started asking and requesting my appearances. And - the industry wasn't really ready for me at the beginning. They were like, it's too different, like, how are we gonna pitch her? As what, a hip-hop artist? She don't sing, she don't rap. And it's not jazz, she does play hip-hop, so - when you do something different, it's like a process that you have to go through. It's more of a struggle, but it's worth every second.
Tavis: When you started, when you came here to study jazz, you actually worked with - a guy named Wynton Marsalis.
Ben-Ari: Of course. He's one of my mentors. I'm a big fan of his work. He's incredible. He influenced, my career, my playing. He's one of a kind.
Tavis: Tell me what it is, you mentioned earlier that you wanted to be able to do something that was original. Jazz allows you to interpret, and to do what you wanna do, and play it the way you feel it. Tell me what it is that you get out of hip-hop? Why the attraction to hip-hop specifically? And when did you first get exposed to hip-hop?
Ben-Ari: I actually discovered hip-hop on my own. I was in a club, and I was listening to Biggie Smalls, and I was, like, "What's that?' It was so hot. And, you know, it's funny, because when you grow up in another country, and you're not exposed to hip-hop, and then you hear hip-hop, like Biggie Smalls, first time as an adult, you even appreciate it more. You don't even, you don't take it for granted.
It sounds so fresh, and it's, like, you listen to it, and you're, like, "You know, this is so dope. This is, like, different.' And you like even the sonic, how he sounds on the music. I remember the first time I heard 'One More Chance' and it was - like a culture shock for me. Tupac, you know, hearing Tribe Called Quest, all of them, you know, hip-hop legends. It's quite a shock if you're from Israel.
Tavis: How did you - what made you think, though, that you could make your violin work with the genre of hip-hop?
Ben-Ari: See, the violin is like my voice. It's what I have the best facilities and technique and I can express myself the best with a violin. So since I practiced it for so long, and I had a technique, I was, like, you know what? That's what I got. Let's just make it work. And I always heard my voice as a violin. As a matter of fact, a lot of people say the violin is the closest thing to the human voice, and it's one instrument that makes you cry. I know I made you cry when I played, you told me before.
Tavis: Yeah, absolutely, yeah, exactly.
Ben-Ari: Still crying.
Tavis: (laughs) Tell me, how do you respond to people who criticize, those classical purists who say that this instrument isn't supposed to be used in the way that you use it?
Ben-Ari: They never criticize me; they just support me because my technique is classical. When they hear me playing, they're, like, you know what, she can play. She just chose to do what she does. The same with the jazz critics. You see, you've mentioned Wynton Marsalis. He's on my second album. Jazz. He blessed me with his art because he wanted to be supportive of me, and playing with me, and, therefore, I can play jazz if I want to. I chose to play hip-hop, you see? Hip-hop is like - is kind of my soul. Hip-hop and R&B, for me, it's like real talk, you know?
I'm from Israel; I'm kind of from the hood. I'm a street person. I know how to play classical music, but my strings are more like of a street mentality because I'm not afraid to be me, to be gangsta if I want to, to be different, to be original, to say what I wanna say even if I need to say things that are not really pleasing other people.
Like the first time I done the Apollo, I asked to play my violin next to a DJ, and everybody was, like, "What you mean? DJ's supposed to be in the background.' I was, like, "no, I want that DJ next to me on stage.' And, you know, not everybody is ready for changes, but, you know, sometimes you have to fight to be who you are.
Tavis: Well, hanging out with Kanye, I see it's rubbing off.
Ben-Ari: You see what I'm saying? It's a perfect match right there.
Tavis: Everybody figured out. You gotta hear this. I know that that sounds oxymoronic, hip-hop violinist. Stay tuned. Miri and company with a special performance. I think you'll be convinced in a moment. Stay with us.
From her CD 'Miri Ben-Ari: The hip-hop Violinist,' here she is along with 'DJ Total Eclipse' and 'Destroy' performing 'We Gonna Win.' Enjoy. Good night from Los Angeles, and keep the faith.
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