Street performers tell life stories through melody

Sam, born in the 1980s, native of Zhanjiang in Guangdong province

Sam plays saxophone in the Tianhe District in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, Oct 31, 2014. [Photo/CFP]

Sam said he earned three yuan during two hours of performance on the night of Oct 31.

Once a school celebrity as a guitarist, Sam buried his music dream and became a welder after finishing high school.

"For those then 10 years I worked as a welder, I didn't pick up a guitar or sing a song," said Sam, "but that doesn't mean the music part for me died."

All he needed was a spark, which came last year as Kenny G's iconic saxophone melody, "Going Home", struck his heart.

Once the obsession started it became unstoppable. He quit the wielding work this year to devote himself to learning saxophone and performing.

Sam said he shared other street musicians' concerns over police eviction. One of the solutions is to give street performers license, he added.