Busker Culture in Quebec Canada
Click/tap any photo to expand it
After a hectic year, my wife and I finally got a small break, so we headed to Canada to beat the Texas heat. The trip was not intentionally planned this way, but we arrived in Quebec City on Quebec Day and left Montreal the day after Canada Day (similar to Independence Day in the US). Of course, I have hundreds of photos to sift through and process before I can post any of them online, but until then, here are some of my favorite photos of the many buskers we encountered.
If you don’t know what a “busker” is (I didn’t), according to Merriam-Webster, a busker is a “chiefly British” word for “a person who entertains in a public place for donations.”
The elderly gentleman in the photo above played the trumpet, sang classic songs, and almost always drew a crowd. This old performer knew how to play to the crowd, a talent not all buskers possess.
There must be some sort of registration process for buskers because they occupied specific spots around the city, and there was never more than one performer vying for the same location at the same time.
The guitarist below was a regular every night in front of Savini, the restaurant at the front of Hotel Sainte-Anne. He saw me pull out my camera and, while still playing, automatically posed for a photo without my asking. I also recorded a 1-minute video of him playing a beautiful Spanish guitar piece, but unfortunately, the conversation at the table next to us was also recorded, rendering it unusable. It’s a shame because he is very talented.
Duo from Argentina
We saw this duo (above) a couple of times in Quebec City and enjoyed their music. From looking at their Instagram account (@detentument), it appears they have started regularly traveling to Quebec around this time of year to perform for the large tourist crowds. They engage the audience fairly well and, in addition to singing in English, they will often perform the songs in either Spanish or French, depending on the crowd’s wishes (and when you are in Quebec City, the crowd’s desire is French).
The percussionist in the photo below is a tourist and musician from Cuba (I think) who stepped in and played several songs without the aid of a score.
All 3 musicians performed together at Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, a small park near the Town Hall and the Basilica Notre-Dame de Québec with Monument du Cardinal Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau in the background.
On this particular day, we sat on a bench in the shade under a tree and listened to them for 20 minutes or so. It was a great way to spend some time relaxing, reading a book, enjoying each other’s company, and giving our feet some rest from all the walking! And we weren’t the only ones; all the park benches were filled with happy people listening, eating lunch, relaxing, and occasionally, dancing.
I enjoyed the vocalist’s voice so much that I recorded a quick video. You can hear conversation in the background, and people are walking back and forth in the video, a rookie mistake. I could have moved to a much better location to shoot better video, but it’s still worth a listen.
Remember, busking is how these musicians make a living, so if you sit and listen to their music, watch them dance (see below), or record their performances, pay them for their effort. Some of them even have their own Busk.co site, where donations can be given online by scanning a QR code. Who knew?
Buskers in Old Town Montreal
After arriving in Old Town Montreal, we often saw buskers in Place Jacques-Cartier, a public square near rue Saint-Paul and the old Montreal port, as well as in Place d'Armes, a public square in front of the Notre-Dame Basilica.
Busking is Not Just for Musicians
I have to say that the hardest-working busker I saw was this dancer (below). She performed many types of dances in full costume to recorded music in the direct sun for hours on end. She often drew good crowds, but few ever donated.
This photo was taken on July 1st, in Place d'Armes. The dancer’s dress and fan are a beautiful red in honor of Canada Day.
