10 Street Musicians That You Need to Hear

10 straatmuzikanten die je gehoord moet hebben

BB King, Janis Joplin, Rod Stewart, Tracy Chapman, Beck and Ed Sheeran all started their careers as busking street musicians. Guestblogger Marlies shares her top 10 list of street musicians from around the world. These musicians have just as much talent as the big names mentioned above, so expect to hear more from them soon!

Ten Super-Talented Street Musicians

#1. Jack Broadbent

Jack Broadbent could be referred to as ‘The new master of the slide guitar’. He plays folk and blues and has opened shows for Robben Ford and Tony Joe White but these days, tours under his own banner. In 2016, he would often be found playing on the streets of Amsterdam.

#2. Ojay

Ojay, or Stephen Oliver Jones, is like the Jimi Hendrix of the bass guitar. Once a member of one of Manchester’s biggest funk bands, Ojay regularly performs solo for passing shoppers in Manchester’s city centre.

#3. Ren and Sam Tompkins

The duo, Ren and Sam Tompkins are armed with nothing more than one guitar and one voice and make some stunning R&B. Have a listen to their version of Earned It, Man’s World and Falling.

#4. Gordo

The Australian percussionist Gordo doesn’t need much to pound out a beat. Inspired by classic New York subway buskers, all he needs is a pair of drumsticks and a few upturned buckets. This guy comes backed up by a mass of experience. He studied music in Japan and has a really popular YouTube channel filled with drumming clips.

#5. Lamba Pomme

Hailing from France, Lamba Pomme travels all over the world in his camper van, mixing beatboxing with the flute and manages to make a living from it. Below, you can see him performing in Dubrovnik in Croatia.

#6. Frederik Konradsen

Frederik Konradsen originally comes from Madagascar but moved to Denmark when he was young. This schooled musician teaches music lessons and performs on the streets of Copenhagen. Listen to his version of All About That Bass in the clip below.

#7. Too Many Zooz

Based in New York, Too Many Zooz play straight-up brasshouse, which is a blend of jazz, dance and funk. Their YouTube videos were so popular, they’re now an in-demand festival act. Despite the success, they still perform regularly in their favourite venues: the subway statutes of New York.

#8. Salliou

Salliou comes from Senegal and plays the cas cas: a percussive instrument that’s similar to the maracas, just without the handles. See the full extent of his skills below.

#9. Jerry Taukamo

Jerry Taukamo comes from Hamilton, New Zealand. See him sitting on a street corner decked out in shades and toting his acoustic guitar, busy singing the birds from the trees.

#10. Turbo Street Funk Band

The Turbo Street Funk Band plays a mix of New Orleans jazz and funk and, while they started out on the streets, they now tour the festival circuit. Listen to them performing in 2016 in Toronto, Canada.

Know about any super-talented street musicians that we haven’t mentioned? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to leave a YouTube link!