Singing in the street

Ansamblul Oltenilor din Berlin

There are many bands and individual singers on the streets of Berlin, mainly during the summer time - when the living is really easy. When the bad weather is back, you can find them in the S- and U-Bahn, singing for a couple of coins some Italian or French music. Those influences are the result of the relocation of many Roma from Eastern Europe - Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia - to Germany, after being expelled from Spain, Italy and France.

This funny band I saw a couple of hours ago, when it was still sun on Unter den Linden. Introduced as 'Ansamblul Oltenilor din Berlin', they were selling their CDs and singing various American rock'n'roll songs. What made me stop to see and photograph them was the expression on their faces: absent, focused on some outside points, the lack of interaction with their public and with the outer world in general. Each of them was looking in a different direction looking like their hands were doing the job more automatically, without any emotional implication. Singing human statues.

Two hours later they were still there, singing frenetically almost the same songs. People were coming and going, a big group every 3-4 minutes, but they were still there, doing their daily job.