Sull’armonia
[ piXo ]
Buskers are street musicians. They ply their trade wherever people gather–subway lines, parks, beneath bridges, bus depots, outside of theaters. A few return to the same spot every day, as if going to the office. They seem to see busking as their job. Most buskers are more peripatetic, shifting from location to location, moved by some stochastic impulse nobody else can understand. These see their busking as a bit of adventure, as well as a way to pick up some needed money.
The original buskers were poachers. The name comes from an obscure old French word, busquer, which meant to roam and stalk. Eventually the term began to be applied to corsairs, coastal pirates who preyed on small merchant ships. It doesn’t require a stretch of the imagination to see how the name became attached to itinerant minstrels and singers.
Modern street buskers are much more considerate than their predecessors, of course, but they carry on the tradition of roaming, prowling, stalking the spots where prey/game/marks can be found. The next time you encounter a busker, think on that tradition. Think of the long line of wanderers and rovers…on streets, along coastlines, through forests…seeking to earn a coin or two in an unorthodox way. Think on that, and reach deep into your pockets. Find that little bit of extra cash and toss it in the cup. It’s not charity; it’s not a handout; it’s supporting a tradition.
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