(CAPE TOWN) Buskers and street-performers are busy celebrating City Hall's decision to legalize performing in Cape Town.The South African city made news earlier this year when blind busker Lunga Nono was beaten by metro police for busking in St. George's Mall.

Charges against the busker have recently been dropped in favor of new legislation. Nono's guitar was broken in the melee which took place in front of his family and onlooking tourists. A music shop donated a new guitar to Nono who has filed a lawsuit.

Now that the city has come to it's senses about the performing artists and tourism, just about anything goes. This includes street musicians, acrobats, clowning, comedy, contortions, dance, singing, fire skills, mime, living statues, music performance, puppeteering, storytelling, poetry, painting,...

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(BUSKING) It seems as little as ten years ago, the term "busker" or "street performer" was looked upon with disdain. Suddenly, now it's the "in" title to tell new-found friends and acquaintances. Strange as it may seem, public perception has shifted in favor of said buskers. The internet has seemed to have had a positive impact on the perception of street performers world-wide.

Wannabe buskers abound on the internet. Some sites have sections dedicated to busking. Unfortunately, once entered, one finds several performers that have only been thinking about busking but somehow never found the backbone to discard their day job to busk full-time. This may be a good thing, however, as some may not have what it takes to begin with. It would probably only add to the long lines at the unemployment office.

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(WWW) If we visit college professor Stephen Baird's Facebook page, we find lots of pictures, links, and related pages towards the pandemic-suppressed art of busking and public performing. An ex-busker, Stephen has been researching this for decades.Of course, not all news is good news. Because of the global pandemic, buskers have been banned in several places including the New York subway where it's been a tradition for years. But in the meantime, we view Pogo Fred, the Red Trowser show, Gazzo, Woody Guthrie, Waldo and Woodhead, Will Soto, Hurdy Gurdy guys, and several others making the professor's current page.

"For as long as there has been a subway system in New York, there have been musicians decorating it with sound. However, they haven’t always been welcome. Performance Today host Fred Child t...

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(THE NETHERLANDS) An article at TheCityAtEyeLevel.com in the Netherlands has published an article portraying busking as a viable means of rejuvenating city streets. Some city's methodology include Glasgow, Melbourne, and Singapore."Busking is at risk of being licensed out of existence, with permit systems, auditions, fees, written application processes, equipment bans, scheduling and branding making the spontaneous, surprising art in public spaces a thing of the past."

The article goes on to discuss street performing policy, proposed permit systems, and a starters guide to encouraging busking in your city.

Many buskers prefer to be self-regulated but there are always a few who abuse this type of system. This can lead to public disputes where there is strong disagreement.

For more info,...

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(SAN DIEGO) There's a lot of buzz about this year's Spring Busker Festival in San Diego, California. This year, the festival is celebrating it's 12th season featuring buskers from coast to coast.Recognized for their unusual acts, buskers and street performers will display their unicycles, pogo sticks, juggling, aerial ballet, dance, sword swallowing, jump ropes, contortion, stunts, comedy, fire breathing, and yet even more.

The exceptional event includes a special wet and wild “Buskers After Dark” performance Saturday evening featuring a DJ, food and beer specials, and busker acts best suited for those over 18.

Enjoy a day on the coast with those bloody buskers!
All busker festivals are free but cash tips are always appreciated.
Be sure to bring a few extra bills.


For more info
be sure to check out
the lin...

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