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The current economic crisis has hit Spain particularly hard.  According to ABC, a national newspaper in Spain, the country appears alongside Venezuela, Jamaica, and Haiti on the list of the “10 countries with a slower recuperation from the Crisis of 2010.” The country has earned itself a spot as the terminal member of the PIGS, being the Portugal-Italy-Greece-Spain bloc of economically backwards European countries. Everywhere in Spain, there is discussion of the economic crisis.

The word “crisis” has even taken root as a Spanish idiom.  Some restaurants are offering a “Crisis Menu” featuring complete Spanish meals for €5.00 or less, or about $6.50 USD.  But despite Spain’s economic woes, the country is still a beacon of culture and opportunity for people seeking employment, refinement, and a better life.

Benjamin, known to many of his friends as Beethoven, is a dedicated violinist.  He is a tall, slim man with thick eyebrows and a deep look in his eyes. As he speaks, he prepares to play a concert in what has become his usual venue over the past two years, the Ciudad Universitaria subway station. There, he is well known and his music is much appreciated by students who pass by.

“I play everyday for around seven or eight hours and it is tiring,” says Benjamin, while taking his trusty violin from its case.  He reflects on the euros people will toss into his violin case as he plays. “At the moment, I do not have any other occupation, so it is good.”

Every day he plays compositions varying from popular movie soundtracks to classical pieces by composers such as Vivaldi, filling the environment with joy and serenity. People passing by often smile when they see him playing, and if they are not in a rush, they occasionally stand and listen. In return for the beautiful sounds, appreciative listeners put a few coins in Benjamin’s violin case.

A street musician, or “musico callejero” as they are called in Spain, is a person who plays his or her music alone or together with a band on the street.  In North America and some parts of Europe, they are known as “buskers,” a more general term for any artist that performs in public.

Many different reasons bring many talented artists – but especially musicians trained on classical instruments – to this lifestyle. Some play because they like to practice their instruments; these casual street musicians often have other means and sources of income. Others perform to entertain themselves or to try out new material in front of some listeners.

But a significant fraction chooses to play music in order to earn money and to try to escape poverty. These musicians are as talented as the others, but their music carries a different pitch, a rich sound of dedication and commitment to street music. Most large cities in developed countries attract such quasi-professional buskers, and Madrid is no exception.

It is very important for street musicians to find a good location that might guarantee sufficient foot traffic and potential donations. They can’t be too close to private institutions, like hotels or restaurants, lest they be forced away by security guards. And some areas are either too desolate or too dangerous – or perhaps attract the wrong kinds of passersby – to yield any donations. But public places, such as parks, subway stations, plazas, and tourist attractions are the perfect spots for street musicians to perform.

“In my country, as a professor of music, I did not earn much money,” Benjamin confesses. He says that he worked for the National Music Conservatory in Romania some years before. He quit because he could not afford to support his family.

“A friend suggested that I come to Spain, saying that I could earn as much as €50.00 [about $63.00 USD] per day and this convinced me to come,” he explains. Upon arriving in Spain and earning the appreciation of a wide and varied clientele, Benjamin was certain that he had made the right decision.

Benjamin hails from Dâmbovia, Romania. He is one of many Romanians that have settled in Spain. According to the Immigration and Emigration State Secretary, Moroccans, Colombians, and Romanians form the majority of immigrants that came to Spain as registered residents in 2009. “People in Romania are very intelligent,” says Benjamin. “But people here [in Spain] appreciate classical music, a music that helps intellectual perceptions!”

In Madrid’s largest open space, the famous El Retiro Park, it is quite common for residents and tourists alike to assemble for picnics, walk around the beautiful lakes, and form as an audience for a wide variety of street performers from around the world.