Abdul Medina - the artist who earns his freedom by singing on the streets of the world

Abdul Medina is a street artist from Guatemala, a tireless traveler, pacifist and a free spirit who lives by his own rules, but respecting others. He discovered his passion for music since childhood, learning to play guitar and piano, and at the age of adolescence he discovered his great love, the violin, from which he is inseparable.

Together with a group of friends and his partner, Abdul took his own life immediately after graduating from college, traveling the world and singing in various places at will. Today it may be in Turkey, and tomorrow in Germany. He feels extremely satisfied with his non-conformist and yet quiet life and does not see himself living an ordinary life, in one place and with a normal job. 

Abdul Medina story goes boyond the social patterns and stereotypes related to street singers, he does not have a tragic life story or social traumas that would have sent him on the street through any situation unfortunate, but it is still a life lesson. He believes that life is made to truly enjoy its beauties, to meet and know the people of the world, and to live by doing what you truly love. 


As far as I know, you play the violin, right?

Yes, most of the time I play the violin, but I also play the piano and guitar. But, obviously, it's much easier to travel with a violin, so I play the violin on the street.

So you are a complete and passionate artist. Where did the idea of ​​singing on the street come from?

Hmm, complicated question ... I didn't set out, so to speak, to want to be a street artist, you know, like when you're little and you tell people you want to be a doctor or a cop. But I think that's just what happened when I started traveling with my friends and the violin. While I was practicing, I realized that I could really sing on the street.
I think this was happening in November 2016.

What do you mean when you say you started traveling with your friends? on vacation or leisure time?

Not. We traveled from place to place all the time. Non-Stop. I mean, I was kind of a nomad. We somehow managed to earn the money we needed to survive on music alone. I usually sang on the street, in bars and restaurants, or even at events, weddings…

Have you ever had a “normal job”?

No, never. My life is constantly changing. I have a lot of "home" all over the world and I make friends everywhere. I feel very free like that.

What is your family's attitude towards this nomadic life of yours and about your more unusual job?

My family is actually just my mother, and she usually supports me in everything I do, including this, because she knows I'm free and happy. In fact, I even took her to travel with me a few times around Europe for a few weeks.

And she's a musician too?

No, he's a journalist, but he also likes to travel, to see the world.

"When you move from place to place, you always change, your life looks different every day. It's like living more and more lives. ”

Looks like you and your mom are a great team. Has it always been that way, or even in childhood?

I basically grew up with her alone, she's my only family. My father died when I was only a year old, so I can't even say I knew him. Mama ma supported always, but when I wanted to start music… I was 15 when I told him I wanted to play the violin, and I wanted that so much! But when I asked her to buy me a violin, she was a little skeptical. She told me I would definitely get bored of her in three weeks at most. So I started saving and working on various little things, as teenagers usually do, and with that money I bought my first violin.

But when he saw that things were getting serious and that I was becoming really interested in my violin, he really me supported more.

I didn't know what I wanted to study after school. It was as if I wanted to study engineering and psychology, I was also attracted to cooking and the idea of ​​being a hobby ... but I wasn't really sure of any of these options. It was already January, and I had to make a decision for my life. For me in Guatemala, the university starts in January, not in September or October as it is in Romania or in Europe in general.
And here I was already in January, the university had to start its courses, and I still didn't know if and what career I wanted to pursue.
My mother came up with the lifeline. He told me that if I still like to play the violin and I've learned to do that. to try to study music further, at least until I decide what I want to do next with my life. So it seemed like a good idea and that's how I got into music more seriously.


Now she is happy with me for living these wonderful experiences. When you always stay at home or have a sedentary life, you have many "same" days: the same problems, the same social circles, the same mentalities. But when you move from place to place, you always change, your life looks different every day. It's like living multiple lives, always.

Some people reserve a time to travel the world immediately after graduation, others leave out of the need to rediscover themselves, after a traumatic experience in a relationship or after a stressful job, for example. How was it with you?

For me, it was not the case of recovering from a demanding job, because I never had one. But I really got to know the world right after I graduated. 10 days after graduation.

Do you know what your first experience was like singing street or where, from your travels?

I think ... in Cambridge UK. I sang in the "Old Town" area, where a lot of street artists usually gather, not just singers.
But singing in the street was nothing new to me, since I had done it at home in Guatemala anyway. I think ... I just sat there and started singing. Everything came to me very naturally after that, and as long as I do this with passion.

You told me you started traveling with your friends. And they sing with you, or do you sing alone?

At home in Guatemala we have a band and we sang quite a lot together. Then I started traveling with them, but we didn't play anymore together, as a band. I think we focused more on the experience that is offered by  each place.

Gradually I started traveling and singing with my girlfriend. We sing separately on the street, because everyone has their own strategy to attract the public and in the end, that increases the family budget. But in bars we sing together.

Besides, there are other strategies that I have to consider when I play on the street, the place where I play and the time of day.

And how do you choose the place where you will play, especially when you are in a completely unknown city or country?

Well ... the first time analyzing and observing people's movement. Observing the places where they go more and more often, or where the pedestrian streets are. In Iasi, for example, it's that street next to the castle, or ... the palace.

In addition, many cities have restrictions on street singing and more, so I need to document myself before I hit the road. I'm thinking now of Barcelona, ​​London or Paris. Here you need some kind of permit to perform in crowded public places


So Barcelona, ​​Paris and London are the most restrictive cities you've been to?

Not. There are other much smaller cities, but with many more rules. I think ... Plovdiv from Bulgaria or even Constanța, from here in Romania. And Amsterdam, let's not forget Amsterdam.

In these cities you are not allowed to play in certain places or for more than an hour, or you are not even allowed to play at all. In others, for example, you must first pay a fee of up to 90 euros.

This is! After all, the world is a pretty big place for everyone and I can sing anywhere else.

"I only do what makes me happy and that brings me some money, but not as a job, but out of passion, maybe."

Have you ever been reproached that what you do is not “a real job?

Usually people don't blame me for that. Dr, I don't consider it a job anyway and I don't want a job either. I only do what makes me happy and that brings me some money, but not as a job, but maybe out of passion.

Have you ever felt vulnerable on the street or experienced violent episodes?

Not really. I'm usually only bothered by the cops, but they've never been violent with me, anyway. They just drew my attention politely, told me that it is not allowed to be there.
And related to the people on the street, I think they respect me or at least they don't dare to be aggressive with me ... that's because I'm "bigger" I guess.
However, I think for a girl the situation is different. I even have a few friends who, like me, sing on the street and are still disturbed or even attacked by passers-by, especially men.

Instead, I happened to have some experiences ... not violent, but more tense, with other street singers, related to the place of singing.
Some people are absolutely obsessed with their place to sing. I even had moments when some started singing more aggressively and louder when I sat down and in the same area.
But I don't pay much attention to that. When I encounter a situation like this, I simply leave, I move. I think that I am in their city after all and that, unlike me, they always stay in the same place. I can sing anywhere, in another place, in another city or even in another country, anytime.

You visited a lot of places and sang in a lot of cities, as far as I understand. Could you say that there are certain unwritten rules or some kind of universal agreement in the world of street singers?

 I've never been in one place long enough, but ... I think it's common sense to stop and greet other brothers, musicians, and not intentionally sit near one when he's already settled in and sings. . That's all.

How challenging is it to sing in a big, noisy city full of people in a hurry?


I don't really like big cities anyway, nor do I look for crowded places. I prefer smaller and more secluded cities, where people don't meet street singers so often. They feel that they appreciate such art more and do not even feel annoyed, as people in big cities are.

Tell me about a time when you felt proud and fulfilled to be a street artist and one when you felt vulnerable as a street artist.

I always liked it and I felt proud every time people approached me and told me they were moved or excited by my music. Such moments are truly special and memorable for me.
As for vulnerability ... I don't like it at all when the police stop me because I feel like a criminal, even though I know I'm not doing anything wrong. But as I said before, they are not violent or aggressive with me, but it's unpleasant to just stop singing and leave.

What is the most important life lesson you learned while singing in the streets?

If you do what you love, you will have magic in your life.