Buskers of London: Sammie Jay | FLASHCARD MAGAZINE

Описание: An interview with Sammie Jay; an insight into being a busker in London. Doesn't she sound fab?

Every time you walk past Covent Garden, one of the most sought-after busking venues in London and probably the UK, you cannot deny the fact that these street performers brighten up the place so much, amusing tourists and reminding every one of us how lovely London is.

Around the corner, a few metres outside the Royal Opera House, a tiny girl with big eyes and blonde hair plays on the guitar and makes her sweet but powerful voice heard. Her name can be found on a mini poster she neatly attached on the guitar case cover. She is called Sammie Jay, and is no stranger to people of Covent Garden and South Bank because she sings at these spots almost every afternoon. During weekends, she even sings late in to the night.

Sammie’s song lists include many long-standing hits such as I Will Always Love You, Time to Say Goodbye, which always stop passing feet for a moment, as well as songs written by herself; and these are debuted in her own CD albums. For the cover performances, each time she loves to put unpredictable spins on them so to give the classics a fresh touch.

Just like other Buskers, Sammie survives on the tips from appreciative audiences. Sometimes it can be difficult for buskers to show their appreciation when they are mid ballad! Many tend to show gratitude through body language during performances and thank verbally at the end of a song, so not to break up their performance. For Sammie, what makes her unique is that she persists on singing “Thank you” during her performance with a genuine smile every single time a coin hits the tip box – and she manages to blend it naturally into her singing.

If you Google Sammie Jay, you will find her amazing performances not only on the streets of London but on American TV shows – she spent a part of her childhood in the capital of country music: Nashville, Tennessee. You may wonder why she did not stay in showbiz and ‘go professional.’ Introducing her latest song Reaching Famous to a crowd in Covent Garden she explains that it is because she does not want to leave the live and enthralling environment of busking.

I sing not because I want to be famous. I just sing because it makes me so happy. I already feel famous in my heart…I want to share my music and happiness.

It has been two years since this blonde starlet started singing on the street and became a living landmark in Covent Garden. Everyday, Sammie carries all of her own technical equipment to her small stage on the bustling streets of London – her amplifier, microphone, the works. There are always helpful hands on public transport and she simply feels blessed by these random acts of kindness.

Sammie hopes to eventually get the opportunity to sing on British TV – to share her music with more people in her home country. To find out more about Sammie Jay, you can go to her website or follow her on Twitter

Watch Flashcard’s video below of Sammie in her element!

Find more about Sammie Jay: http://www.sammiejaymusic.com/
Follow her on Twitter:   / sammiejaymusic  

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Words by Vicki Cheng
Filmed & edited by Vicki Cheng

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Buskers of London: Sammie Jay | FLASHCARD MAGAZINE
Buskers of London: Sammie Jay | FLASHCARD MAGAZINE
Buskers of London: Sammie Jay | FLASHCARD MAGAZINE