Andrew Kalleen: Protest Music

Andrew is a rock star in every possible sense. As well as being one of the city’s finest buskers, he’s also an activist, who’s stared down police intimidation, faced arrest and spearheaded an unprecedented protest against the NYPD. After being wrongfully incarcerated last year for legally singing on the underground, Andrew inspired a guerrilla campaign, drawing on the city’s many buskers, performers and musicians who flooded the transport system in solidarity and performed the gig of the year. The event has been widely reported in global media and Andrew has since evolved into an iconic testament to music’s ability to effect real, social change.
Andrew talks to us about what street artists contribute to the urban fabric. Together with some of his friends, he mounts an incredible gig to show us just what he means.