If I had even a little talent in music, I’d busk on the streets of Europe five days a week for the rest of my life. I don’t though.
I came across this man at Dam Square, the Royal Palace under renovation fills the background. He tapped the fingers of his right hand hard on the strings of his rickety old instrument that looked to be in tatters and about to come apart. I remember him doing an Elvis Presley song and another one titled, ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ in his own original style.
And everytime someone spared some change, he’d go “Thank You Ma’am” / “Thank You Sir” in the middle of the song. It’d blend nicely though.
What a character!
FIN
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Nice shot !
Thanks, Vignesh TG!
how many film cameras u’ve ?? what are they ?
3. A Canon AE-1P with a 50mm f/1.4 lens (35mm film), a Fuji GS645S Professional rangefinder (120mm film, 6×4.5) and a Yashica Mat (120mm film, 6×6)
beautiful………
Thanks, magiceye!
Beautiful image. Loce the hat.
Thanks, Mitzi G Burger!
it looks like a beeeeautiful instrument, i love the scroll of the head, great candid shot, music, caught in time
Thanks, Elaine!
He seems to love what he’s doing, great street shot!
Thanks, Monique!
very nice b/w very pleasent in perfect frame, really fantastic atmosphere
Thanks, fabrizio!
You gonna title these posts?
Where should I meet you? At the Dam Square..haha
I’d like to leave these photos untitled.
Yes, I’ll be passing by the Dam this evening.
See you there!
Wonderful candid street shot
Thanks, JJ!
excellent music image – greta b&w and great face
Thanks, yiannis krikis!
Lovely shot
I dont know why but instruments like these and piano…when played..tend to fascinate me a lot!!!
Thanks, Dew!
Yes, it is a fantastic instrument. And he played it like only he can!
What a great moment captured. I can almost hear him
Thanks, cityhippyfarmgirl!
Great shots. Hope you are thoroughly enjoying your travels.
Thanks, carol!
Great image mach3
Thanks, nursemyra!
Very cool. I love this photo. A video would have been cool too!
Thanks, Hilary!
I don’t walk around with a video recorder too much.
I too hope that I had some video of this guy though!
Pure entertainment!
He looks like such a nice old grandpa type of person. A rickety old man on a rickety old instrument. Great photo
Thanks, Tony!
Another beautiful photo from you. Love it how he would stop to say thanks with each contribution of change. When I see people like this performing in public, I always wonder what’s behind his/her story. There’s always a lot to tell, I’m sure.
I was told that some of the buskers that I’d met in Paris earn about € 3500 a month!
I spoke to this guy who sells water on the streets of Paris for € 1 a bottle and he said he saved about € 2000 a month! He splits an apartment and its rent with 8 or 9 others though. All strangers.
Thanks, Gropius!
Amazing work. It was a great pleasure to go through your websote. Everyone seems to be shooting in black and white these days and very few people get it right!
Here’s hoping there will be more in this blog in the days to come!
CHEERS
Thanks, Bodhisattva!
What an expressive shot! Just wonderful.
Thanks, Lady Fi!
dropped over from hilary’s POTW…how cool. love to stop and see the musicians on the street…sounds like this one had quite the personality…nice slice of life…
Thanks, brian!
The street entertainers of Europe are pretty good and the standard is high. They are a surviving remnant of the wonderful phenomenon of live entertainment, which is a dying art. The street entertainers of my native Dublin are pretty good too.
I came to visit you via ‘The Smitten Image’. Congratulations on your Post of the Week mention. It’s been a pleasure to visit your blog.
Thanks, gaelikaa! And thanks to ‘The Smitten Image’!
Yes, the standard of street entertainers has been fantastic in all of the European cities I’ve been to.
If I ever visit Dublin, I’ll surely let you know.
Great picture! It has a personality all its own, and I can practically hear him. I am always amazed by people with such a good, photographic eye. I think you all must see the world in a vivid, vibrant detail, and I’m just grateful that people like you (and Hilary, and others) share their view with people like me; someone prone to taking blurry pictures of feet.
But your words bear mentioning, too. Very nicely written, in evocative, spare style that was just as pleasing as the picture. Nicely done!
Thanks, land of shimp!
Thank you very much!
[...] This one’s another character study from Dam Square in Amsterdam. [...]
[...] 10. Street entertainment at Dam Square in Amsterdam. I have embedded a couple of fantastic sound recordings of The Laughing Life and Vincent van Hessen. I also have a photo of this gentleman and his Xylophone and this gentleman from last year. [...]