Four
gorgeous women clad in bikinis and colorful sarongs are standing
ankle-deep in the waters off Cuba, their lean bodies posed seductively,
their hair blowing gently in the coastal breeze. It's a lovely
sight, yes, but one we've all seen before. Probably just a photo
shoot for a swimsuit calendar or fashion magazine, right? But
wait....upon closer inspection it becomes clear that each woman
is not only holding a musical instrument, but is also playing
it. And playing it well.

Welcome
to the world of bond. And we aren't talking the 007 variety.
These women aren't mere eye candy to a British womanizer, they're
redefining classical music as we all know it. Meet Tania Davis,
Gay-Yee Westeroff, Haylie Ecker and Eos (who mysteriously has
no last name), the ladies who make up the stunning UK string
quartet. Ranging in age from 23 to 26, the bond ladies have
taken the UK and the rest of the world by storm with their new
brand of classical music, made unique by pulsating dance beats
and passionate world rhythms. It's the kind of music that appeals
to both 13-year-olds and 63-year-olds -- ageless and captivating.

Consisting
of four classically trained musicians, bond performs on electric
violins, viola and cello. Bond's debut album, Born, was
released in the U.S. in March 2001, after having thrived on
the charts (both classical and pop) around the world. Born
has gone gold in the UK, France, Australia, Sweden, Italy and
Austria and was certified platinum in Turkey and Bulgaria.

But
don't expect to find bond playing in the background of a stuffy
reception -- these women take center stage and are entrancing
performers, grabbing the full attention of the audience, men
and women alike.

After
rolling into the States in the spring of 2001, bond began a
promotional whirlwind tour, including a Jaguar-sponsored concert
outside the New York Stock Exchange and a performance at the
New York Auto Show, as well as appearances on national television
programs like Good Morning America. And add to that the fact
that Born hit the top of the Billboard Classical Crossover
Chart, ahead of Charlotte Church and Sarah Brightman, and the
quartet's mass appeal becomes even more evident.

All
of this success was the brainchild of Gay-Yee and Eos, who both
used to do backing for pop artists. Gay-Yee performed with Primal
Scream, Spice Girls, Talvin Singh, Bryan Adams and Barry Manilow,
while Eos played with The Divine Comedy and Cocteau Twins.

"Gay-Yee
and I met doing session work since we used to do backing for
bands," Eos says, "So we got to talking about the
idea of doing a quartet that wasn't just backing, that was up
front."

The
two girls then met Haylie, who introduced them to fellow Aussie
Tania. And just like that, bond was born.

With
the flair, good looks and attitude of a rock band and music
that could easily play in the hottest dance clubs from London
to Ibiza, bond is a group that breaks all boundaries.

"If
I were to explain bond to someone, I'd probably call it eclectic,"
says Tania. "The music is quite a mix. It's a lot of different
styles. The producer we've been working with has introduced
a lot of different flavors to the music."

From
the Latin elements of Quixote (by far one of the best
tracks on Born) to house beats of Victory (the
group's first single), each song on the album whisks the listener
away to a different emotional state, from romantic to relaxing
to heart-poundingly upbeat. But the base of the music are the
strings, the main component that united all four women in the
first place.

"I
love classical music and I really enjoy every other style of
music as well, so this is ideal for me because it brings all
those together," Gay-Lee adds.

Classical
music never looked (or sounded) so good.