Next??? - sexy string quartet, please stand up...

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Escala is coming...

They performed on Britain's Got Talent but didn't quit win. However, Simon Cowell has taken them on board with intentions of making them world famous. According to their old blog, they are currently traveling - around the world arriving in Bali on the 6th of October.

Are they new??? Well, yes, they are a new group. But the concept of four leggy women playing string quartet music isn't new. Bond, four girls from Australia (not to be confused with Bond Girls, scantly dress women who appear in James Bond films - although any of these women could step into that role) debuted their first album in 2001. Siren are four women who are graduates of the Royal Academy and Royal College of Music in London, serious musicians with their world tour back in 2006. Eclipse is a group of four men who graduated from Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Royal College of Music in 2005 and have been touring ever since.

This isn't to say the women of Escala aren't serious musicians. Victoria studied at the Royal College of Music and became the youngest member of the Royal Philharmonic after she graduated. Tasya went to the Yehudi Menuhin School for musically gifted children and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and was briefly a member of the London Symphony Orchestra. Chantalwon a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music.

Their style, classical music with a beat, and more. Tasya says 'There is nothing wrong with crossover (a blend of classical and pop)...but we're looking for any music that can be done in an instrumental way.'

A little resarch on the web and a host of "sexy" female quartets pop up. Bellatrix is a female string quartet from Korea with several videos on YouTube. Other groups include Oreos String Quartet, Just Strings, performing since 1990, Highly Strung, performing since 1990 - and these are just the top of the pile from groups performing in the UK.

So, what's really new about Escala? They have serious financial backing and they're the latest group to appear on the scene. How successful will they be? Their album is out in 2009, so we'll see.

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