Mr Daniel Sid used to busk regularly in Haji Lane, singing an eclectic mix of pop and rhythm and blues with elements of soul and indie music.
But the coronavirus pandemic has put an end to his gigs and street performances, leading his income to plunge by as much as 90 per cent.
It has also meant uncertainty for the final-year business student at Singapore Management University (SMU), who had applied for leave of absence this year to complete his first album.
Since early April, Mr Daniel, 24, has been livestreaming performances from his home roughly every three days via Facebook, Instagram and Twitch.
He says: "It is a very different experience to engage an online audience compared with a physical one. I draw energy from the crowd when I sing and I cannot do that while performing online."
Many of the 300 or so buskers here endorsed by the National Arts Council (NAC) have had their incomes hit by the Covid-19 outbreak.
Some buskers, like Mr Daniel, have adapted by going online.
*Scape, a non-profit group that promotes youth development, also runs an eBusking series to provide a platform for young buskers.
Data engineer Er Young Yee and bank executive Ang Cheng Wei, both 28, have uploaded compiled videos to engage audiences on social media.
The duo started busking in 2013 in Tampines and Payar Lebar, naming their band The Unemployed to dispel the stigma against buskers.
They have come across performers of all ages over the years, even having a few encounters with territorial buskers.
Mr Ang says: "We understood that elderly buskers who had spent years performing at the same place depend on the tips from their regular audience for their basic needs."
Although they later moved on to busk in new locations in the central district, they have a special attachment towards the seasoned buskers of the heartland.
They have been relaying information about relief funds and grants to fellow performers to help them tide over this period.
For instance, buskers eligible for the Self-Employed Persons Income Relief Scheme can apply to receive three quarterly payouts of $3,000 each this month and in July and October.
Ms Joy Chen, Mr Christopher Cheah and Ms Tan Jing Yi, who goes by the stage name Kennigrace, all 32, have had to put a brake on busking after forming their band, Two Cheers and a Toast, last year. They passed the NAC auditions to be endorsed as buskers in October last year.
The trio, who hold day jobs, would busk on weekends outside Clarke Quay Central. They also perform at weddings and corporate events, but jobs have dried Read More – Source
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