The group Playing For Change is the international stew stirred by Mark Johnson, a recording engineer/ producer who had a vision in a New York City subway station 10 years ago. He's travelled the world seeking out indigenous musicians all over the world to compile a series of songs performed by buskers. Johnson brought together, on tape, musicians from Israel, India, Ireland, the U.S. and several African nations to back the vocals of Marley and U2's Bono.
Playing for changeThe past few years saw the release of several interesting busker documentaries. Online video sharing and social networking websites are now flooding the internet with street performers from around the world shot by amateurs on holiday.
The British group Oasis has also just released a documentary Dig Out Your Soul In The Streets. It features an 18 minute experiment in black and white of buskers interpreting then performing a new song written by Oasis. The documentary, directed by The Malloys, who have previously directed music videos for the likes of The White Stripes, follows Liam Gallagher, Gem Archer and Andy Bell as they travel to New York and audition selected buskers.
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