Young musician Martin Riggs Nuñez encourages us to bring back art to the streets of Manila

Martin Riggs Nuñez went old school and played on the streets of Plaza Lawton on a random morning. Fortunately for him, Carlos Celdran, a prominent performance artist, took notice. 

The rest of the world wide webz noticed too. Carlos Celdran’s post went viral, earning 11 thousand likes and more than a thousand shares. Comments showed strong support for a culture that values street artists and performers. 

Martin, 20, is a student at Adamson University, and as it turns out, he was singing in public for a social psychology experiment in one of his classes. Little did he know that his little academic adventure will put him in the limelight. 

Martin played Silent Sanctuary’s “Kundiman” and Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph.” He is no stranger to performing, and he regularly goes on stage with a band (and on streets by himself!) for a year now. He told Coconuts Manila that performing on streets is different because “you can feel the rush of the world and it feels like you’re there to test if your music can catch people.”

Such wise words from a young artist. 

 

 

I dunno who this kid is but I give him massive props. All I know is that he is from Adamson’s University and he has the…

Posted by CARLOS CELDRAN on Monday, 7 March 2016

 

He took his newfound fame as an opportunity to promote his love for busking, or the act of sharing talent and music for gratuities. This kind of street performance is practiced all over the world. Famed musicians like Rod Stewart and the band Violent Femme started out their careers as street performers. 

Martin left a message for other musicians like him, “This goes out to musicians and the people who’d listen to us. For a better culture for music. You are all tired of what you hear in the radio. Be the difference. There’s a way if you really want it to happen. Open your he(arts) for arts.”

Now don’t you think Manila streets would be a hundred times more charming if music like Martin’s play on the background?



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