south american street musicians - Berlin, Alexanderplatz

Busking is the practice of doing live performances in public places to entertain people, usually to solicit donations and tips. Those engaging in this practice are called buskers. Busking is a British term and is found throughout the world. In the United States the term busking is not as widely known, and so buskers there are more commonly called street performers or street musicians. Busking performances can be just about anything that people find entertaining. Buskers may do: musical performance, clowning, comedy, improvisation, balloon modelling, dance, acrobatics, contortions and escapes, juggling, magic (illusion), fire eating, sword swallowing, snake charming, fortune-telling, present a flea circus, street theatre, street art (sketching and painting, etc.), puppeteering, storytelling or recite poetry or prose as a bard, or do mime or a currently popular mime variation where the performer simply stands still as a living statue. People busk for a variety of reasons, including for money, for fun, the attention they get, to socialize or meet people, the love of their art, or to practice their skills or try out new material in front of an audience. Some buskers only work part time, while others make a full time living performing on the streets. Some buskers do professional entertainment gigs in addition to working the streets. Some people manage only pocket change from busking, while others can amass substantial incomes. An act that might make money at one place and time may not work at all in another setting. A busker's income depends on many conditions, including the composition of the audience, the type and quality of the performance, and the time of day. Location can be the key, and competition from other entertainers can also play a role, both positively and negatively. Busking can be the bottom rung of the entertainment industry, and some of the most famous groups and superstars started their careers as buskers. Examples include the Blue Man Group, Cirque Du Soleil, Stomp, Bob Hope, George Burns, Rod Stewart, Dolly Parton, Eric Clapton, Simon and Garfunkel, Jimmy Buffett, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Pierce Brosnan, Robin Williams, Jason Alexander and Joni Mitchell. Many other buskers have found fame and fortune.