Shutter On The Street

This week I decided to invite my friend Steph to guest blog.  She is another talented photog that I know and she comes along with me on most of my adventures.  I asked her to give her impression of the performer for this week’s post (because I was too busy drowning myself in Sam Adam’s Summer Ale but also because she’s a very talented photographer and writer).

Koga Rite plays the Saxophone

This young man was by far the most inspiring street performer we found in Boston during this week Shawn and I have been here. We stumbled upon this musician in the Old State House subway station on our way back to the hotel.

When we first entered the station the faint sound of a saxophone was luring us further on. Unfortunately, a train was pulling into the station and it was our ride home. With just a glance, we decided we would stay to hear more and Shawn would take a few photos. After the train passed, Koga Rite announced that he would be playing a few traditional Zimbabwean songs on an unfamiliar instrument called an mbira. The sound was incredible and was made even more pleasant sounding when Koga began singing along. After gathering a small crowd of folks who skipped trains to stay and listen to him, he sang his rendition of Sade’s “By Your Side” with musical accompaniment. Koga is a very talented musician and I only wish we had had more time to to talk with him.

Of course, it was most interesting when an older gentlemen who was asking everyone he saw for money for food, sat down a little further down the bench and lit up a cigarette. Voicing through the mic that we all want a little clean air Koga eventually asked the man to stop smoking. As we were finally boarding the train, the man walked over to Koga and I heard “If I give you like $7 will you leave?” And as the train was pulling out of the station, I saw Koga reach into his case and fish out a few bucks to give to the smoking man.