One of the few things Tara and I really like about big cities are the buskers. We love going out for a walk here, if only in the hopes of stumbling upon a good musician. Athens doesn't disappoint!
This jazzy duo winked at us when we left coins in their hat and smiled when we recorded a minute or two of their music. Despite how serious they look in the photo, they seemed to be really enjoying themselves as they filled the surrounding area with their jovial tune.
In Monastiraki square, these Peruvian buskers took center stage, complete with a PA system. From afar, we scoffed, thinking they were just playing a CD, but when we approached, we saw they were indeed playing their instruments (with a backing track).
We'd heard them playing earlier in the week at a different location and were glad we got a chance to record them this time around. In addition to selling CDs, they also had jewelry and Andean handicrafts on display. I'm sure you'll love this Mom!
This guy refused to let me record a minute of his noodling. He was happy enough when I tossed some money into his hat but the moment I pulled out my recorder he stopped playing and pointed at his CDs. When I asked politely if I could record just one minute, he responded with a haughty sounding, "no, but you can buy a CD". Nice.
These guys were much more enthusiastic. The gypsy-sounding trio were playing in front of the metro station but nobody seemed to care or notice. The accordion player was smiling ear to ear and posed several times for Tara's photo-taking while I documented the sounds.
After nearly a week here, I think we've covered all of the regulars! I don't expect there will be a part #3, but we'll see.