The Art of Busking

The Art of Busking

By Heidi Harris

LONDON--The term “Busking” comes from the Spanish root word “buscar,” meaning, “to seek. Dating back to the 1860’s, Great Britain has been home to millions of buskers performing for various reasons. Many seek fame and fortune, others seek recognition, and some simply enjoy utilizing their talents.

Today, busking typically takes place on a public street corner as to attract large numbers of foot traffic. In London, performers are typically in the tube stations, at restaurants, and any popular tourist destination. Performances from buskers can be almost anything that will gain attention, like; acrobatics, magic, singing, dancing, or even sword swallowing.

After seeing so many performers, it is easy to become curious about the people behind the talent. Why do they perform? How often do they perform? And on the top of the list, how much do they make performing? In order to answer these questions, it is important to go where busking is the spectacle, rather than the background.

With the intention of talking with some of these talented performers, the London Eye is a place over run with tourists and buskers alike. Sure enough, there were performers lining the pier next to the Eye. The first group of buskers was a group of 4 Jamaican acrobatic performers. Before they began their show they passed out 4 metal bowls, and encouraged the audience to “bless them if they enjoyed even a minute of the performance.”

This is the tactic of a busker who relies on their performance as a full time job. The performers were exceptionally great at incorporating audience participation, and the culture that they expressed through their dances was easy to see. It wasn’t difficult to see how they were able to use this type of performance as their sole form of income. 

Next, the attention of people walking along the pier seemed to be taken to a young woman performing recognizable covers, and originals. Charlotte Campbell is a singer songwriter who performs a mix of pop and folk. Charlotte released an album early in her singing career that wasn’t as successful as she would have hoped. In order to gain musical attention she decided to try out busking. Within a short period of time her music gained popularity and she is now in the process of releasing a second album. Campbell said, “I really didn’t think anyone would listen, and then they did.” With the help of foot traffic along the pier, Campbell has made a name for her self within the city of London, and hopes to expand her career around the globe.

Each busker performs in a completely original way, making them unique to every other performer on the street. However, they all have one thing in common: a desire to share their passion with as many people as they can. It is this similar trait that keeps the art of busking alive today. It is difficult to stop and listen to one of these many performers without smiling. Buskers aren’t beggars, or professional con artists; they are musicians, and talented performers passionate about what they do.

To watch Charlotte Campbell perform a hit single off of her new album click below.

http://youtu.be/rOUUikJa3I8

The Freedom to Speak

By Heidi Harris
LONDON--

Today we travelled to Hyde Park for the spectacle that is Speakers' Corner. Traditionally, Speakers' Corner is an area where open debate is permitted at all times. Unlike the United States, in the United Kingdom speakers must get approval to demonstrate their opinions in a public place. After learning a little bit about what these "demonstrations" include I was very hesitant to engage myself.

My previous experience with public demonstrators has left a bad taste in my mouth. For instance it is not uncommon to hear on the campus of Washington State University yelling activists argue their unpopular or slightly different beliefs. This always makes me feel extremely uncomfortable because they typically exercise their first amendment right at the personal expense of those who don't think and believe like they do. Even with these impressions, I joined each of the circles not knowing exactly what to expect.

Speakers' Corner

Each of the demonstrators represented a different philosophical, geopolitical, and religious belief. People listening to these demonstrators were from every different belief system in the world, with varying opinions, and questions they hoped to have answered. The first presenter I listened to was discussing his Jewish faith and why he believed it to be the absolute truth. As my eyes began to glaze over, and I began to feel like a turtle going into my shell I heard a man in the audience yell "Jews killed Jesus, we should hate them for what they have done." For a split moment I thought about letting his comment go unnoticed, but I couldn't get past his hateful words and generalizations about all Jewish people.

 Hating an entire people group because of what you believe they did is what causes war and violence. After speaking with him for a while, I began to understand the importance of the corner. By tradition, Speakers' Corner began to see it's first debates in the mid eighteen hundreds, and thousands of debates have occurred since. and I was apart of this legacy. The right to gather, bring up tough questions, and share your opinion should never be taken lightly. I never came to an agreement with the man I was speaking with, and I don't believe that he truly listened to what I had to say, but I said it. I didn't let the fear of disagreement or heated discussion keep me from speaking

Other presenters 

The London Hustle

By Heidi Harris 

LONDON--

Like every city and every town there is an atmosphere and impression felt almost immediately after arriving. Right after stepping off of the airplane I was immediately bombarded with all of the transportation offered to tourists and locals alike. Like most people, I don’t like the feeling of being out of place or unfamiliar with my surroundings. Instead of staying inside my fairly small comfort zone, though, I decided to take the London Underground, the cities subway system, otherwise known as "The Tube."  

Public transportation in London is unlike anywhere else in the world. The tube, which opened in 1863, was the world's first underground railway. The tube is a central railway located underground that has 11 different lines leading to various places around the city. After following the signs to the correct line, I jumped on and quickly took a mental snapshot of my surroundings. The first thing I noticed was how cramped and overpopulated the tube was. According to the official tube transport of London, the underground serves on average 1.23 billion passengers a year, all without air conditioning. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how forcefully the tube moves forward, and without the help of a handrail I fell into the person next to me--definitely a tourist moment I would be happy to forget.  

 

While the tube isn't the most graceful form of transportation, it allows you to get to your destination without the hassle of the traffic above. It is also cost effective, averaging £2.80 pence per ride, which is $3.75 in U.S. dollars. Factoring in the cost of Petrol (or gasoline) the tube also cuts down on the amount used daily, taking thousands of passengers to their desired destinations. Overall, this iconic railway line is an extremely efficient way of transporting thousands daily in a timely manner while producing fewer greenhouse gases than if every passenger were to drive.

Even though there isn’t anyone buckling seatbelts, offering refreshments, or giving directions, the tube is a wonderful form of transportation in a huge city. In order to fully live like a Londoner, I intend to continue to familiarize myself in the ways of this colorful city by boarding the tube.