Beyond Bourke Street

Born in Japan (in Kuwana, 30km from Nagoya), Blues artist George Kamikawa has been playing on the streets of Melbourne since the early 2000s. His journey as a busker started in New Zealand after observing a musician performing on the sidewalks of Auckland. Nowadays, George blends busking sessions with shows in venues, corporate gigs, and festival appearances in Australia and overseas.  Interview recorded on September 23, 2023 (Swanston Street, Melbourne Central Business District) by Daniel Bacchieri. Music excerpts from the songs "Devil in Your Bed", "Sake Blues", "Black Water Blowing", "Early in the Morning", "Sandhill", "Mountain Rag", "Creeper". All songs written by George Kamikawa. Photo credit: Daniel Bacchieri https://www.georgekamikawa.com.au/

Multi-instrumentalist Umbra Moon believes social media changed the game for busking. The UK-born artist and producer has been a frequent street musician at the Bourke Street Mall, where their live sessions are constantly shared on social media platforms by passersby/fans. Interview recorded on August 10, 2023 (Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne Central Business District) by Daniel Bacchieri. Music excerpts from the songs "Fool Me", "Only U in the End", and "Temporary Healing". All songs written by Umbra Moon. Photo credit: https://www.instagram.com/k_sacco/ https://linktr.ee/umbramoon

Rapper and producer Jwittit discovered himself as an artist during the COVID-19 lockdowns in Melbourne when he decided to invest his time in learning the fundamentals of music production. He has been freestyling in the streets of Melbourne ever since. Originally from Brisbane, Queensland, Jwittit shares enthusiasm regarding the 'Melbourne busking scene' through his production with other local street musicians. Interview recorded on August 19, 2023 (Cocker Alley, Melbourne Central Business District) by Daniel Bacchieri. Music excerpts from the songs "Climb", "Moment", "Soaring", "Watch Out", "Didn't I", "Mirror", and "Should've Know". All songs written by Jwittit. Photo credit: Nauman https://www.instagram.com/naumanbadar/ https://www.instagram.com/jwittit/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/2XhIGArQu6tlQXkKEwaiAw

Parisian guitarist Tezzmakk enjoys presenting his work on the sidewalks of Swanston Street. The Blues-oriented player also likes to experiment through impromptu performances with other Melbourne buskers, exploring the encounters in a busy street to create new sounds. Interview recorded on August 19, 2023 (Cocker Alley, Melbourne Central Business District) by Daniel Bacchieri. Music excerpts from the songs "Finally" (feat. Adrien Cayu, MosWavey & Tezzmakk) by Jwittit, "Sunset" (feat. Tezzmakk) by Jwittit, "Exactly" (feat. Joshua Caleb, MosWavey & Tezzmakk), by Jwittit and Leyvi. Photo credit: Daniel Bacchieri https://www.instagram.com/tezzmakk/

Australian/Indian/Swiss/German/Spanish ISHAN takes his multicultural musical influences to the streets of Melbourne. The singer-songwriter believes the online environment has become crucial for street performances and also reveals how busking in the Central Business District can be compared with his street music experience in the Melbourne suburbs (for instance, Hawthorn in the City of Boroondara). Interview recorded on June 30, 2023 (Zoom recording) by Daniel Bacchieri. Music excerpts from the songs "Hello", "Apologies", "Bad Dream", "Go", and "This Blank Wall". All songs written by ISHAN. Photo credit: https://www.instagram.com/ten.g.studios/ https://linktr.ee/ishanincaps