Piano busker fills street with music
A Czech man living with his piano in a tiny wooden caravan is hoping to gain residency in New Zealand, but for now he’s happy to mesmerise Stafford St punters with his talent on the keys.
Vojtech Pango Zamechik travelled from Ashburton to Timaru on Wednesday afternoon to busk with his run-down London-made Arthur Allison piano on Stafford St.
The 26-year-old said he would play one more day on the street on Thursday before heading back to Ashburton to start a new job.
‘‘I like playing on this street. It’s a good place for a piano. It’s a lot harder to find a good place in Ashburton and in Christchurch. There’s some places that are OK but in the centre there’s so much construction noise all day.’’
Zamechik, who has been playing since the age of five, wheeled his piano out of his caravan on a trolley on Wednesday afternoon and set up beside the old Bernina store.
Everything played was improvised, he said.
‘‘I created the music in the present because I’m just like the music, I like to live in the present,’’ he said.
Zamechik, who is here on a working visa, said he loved New Zealand and would like residency one day.
‘‘When I see the situation in Europe at the moment with the refugee crisis, I’m not sure I would want to go back, I don’t feel it would be safe.’’
Zamechik said playing piano on the street was a great idea and he was extremely lucky to have one of his own to play, even if it had a hard travelling life.
‘‘I have literally five metres of space in that caravan but I still have space for my piano.’’
I have literally five metres of space in that caravan but I still have space for my piano. Vojtech Pango Zamechik