A classical music student from Merton who started busking to fund his schoolboy dream has just landed a London gig.
Yohane-Liam Osafo, 21, first began doing street performances in Wimbledon to raise £1,000 for a school music trip to America.
He was excited about his new role playing at the Crossover Jazz Room in Crouch End on Friday nights.
He said: “I just started yesterday. It’s a great place. The musicians are all amazing.”
Mr Osafo, who is of Ghanaian heritage, will start his final year of university in Newcastle in October.
When he is home for the holidays he often entertains passers-by at Wimbledon Piazza with classical and jazz music on his electric violin.
He said: “I don’t feel nervous or anything, I guess I’ve done it so many times before.
“I started on the piano when I was 10 and then a few years later I went to the violin.
“I saw someone playing the cello and I was like I want to do that too.”
Pedestrians walking by while he was playing jazz standard My Funny Valentine looked impressed and some stopped to listen for a few minutes or to donate a few coins.
#Classical #music #student Yohane-Liam Osafo from #Merton plays My Funny Valentine (Jazz Standard) in #Wimbeldon 🎻 pic.twitter.com/70ANCd8DKl
— Vanessa B (@MissNessaBrown) July 21, 2018
The sign he had on display said that the money he receives goes towards his music expenses and university living fees.
But Mr Osafo stressed he did not want to be perceived as being poor.
High quality musical instruments can cost thousands of pounds, often a barrier that prevents less wealthy people from pursuing classical music professionally.
He said he intended to make a YouTube channel to share his music and can be followed on Instagram.
Crossover Jazz Room takes place on Fridays from 7.30pm with live performances of jazz, blues, soul, R&B and reggae.
