BUSKERS – A NEW TELEVISION SERIES FOR BBC ALBA

BBC ALBA – starts Monday 22 October at 10.30pm The incredible talent, variety and diversity of Scotland’s street musicians is set to be captured in a new BBC ALBA series. Buskers, produced by BBC Gàidhlig, looks at possibly the toughest stage of all on which to learn your musical trade – on your own, on the streets! Each episode delves into the lives of current and former street artists with input from recording artists such as Eddi Reader and the busker’s biggest critic and supporter, the public. From young to, well, not so young, you can find every form of street artist, whether solo artists to full bands, fire jugglers to dancers, on the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh. There are many reasons as to why buskers find themselves performing on the city streets, and Buskers is on a mission to find out why. So, what is the life of a busker like and how many of them actually “make it”? Spotted on Sauchiehall Street, Dutch saxophonist, Sybren Renema, is a regular performer on the streets of Glasgow. Sybren explains: “I just seemed to fall into this lifestyle, having graduated from university. I’m out most days and I have so many stories about my experiences, but I hope my parents won’t hear about them!” At the tender age of 14, Murdo Mitchell, from Johnstone, has not only become a busking sensation but also an internet one! He writes his own material and his numerous video postings on YouTube and Facebook attract a healthy following. He is passionate about music and far more interested in busking than his school work. Buskers opens the door on this often misunderstood lifestyle – often amusing but always entertaining with fascinating anecdotes and performances from the famous and those striving for fame. Buskers commences on BBC ALBA on Monday 22 October at 10.30pm and each consecutive Monday thereafter, and is repeated on Fridays at 10pm.