Meet Leveo, The Street Violinist

Roaming the cobblestoned Marche aux Herbes one afternoon, above the footsteps and chatter of natives and tourists, I heard the faint sound of a violin in the distance. Odd, I thought, to hear that in Brussels.

Street musicians are part of the daily fabric of Paris. It's a rare metro trek in Paris that you don't cross paths with a lilting accordian player, a guitarist belting out the blues, or a classical ensemble drawing a crowd with enthusiastic tunes. Once, we happened upon a harpist on the steps of Sacre Coeur - playing for tips and selling cds out of a suitcase.

But musicians in downtown Brussels are rare. Which made this lone violinst on the Marche aux Herbes all the more interesting. As I followed the Bach melody up the hill, I spotted the musician perched on the ledge of a ground-level window across from the souvenir shops that line the street.

After waiting for the musician to complete his piece, I dropped a euro into his violin case, introduced myself with a polite 'excusez-moi' and asked if I could interview him for a story I was writing. He seemed delighted. "Bien sur (of course!)", he said.

I learned that his name was 'Leveo', and that he was born in Hungary, but raised in Romania just 20 kilometers from the Chateau of Count Dracula in Transylvania. He studied violin for 12 years in school at the 'Lycee de Musique' and then pursued the nomadic life of a professional musician, joining orchestras in Romania, France, Germany, Morocco and Belgium. He studied and played the classics, including Bach and Mozart.

Fifty-eight years old and in-between jobs, Leveo had come to Brussels for two-months to play on the streets and wait for his next gig. Until then, he seemed content to perch on the window ledge and play his tunes for anyone who would listen.

Detecting my foreign french accent, he asked if I was 'Anglais' (British) and I disclosed my Southern USA roots, after which he admitted a great fondness fo American jazz music - especially the standards from the 20's including 'Misty' and 'Laura'.

I closed my writing pad, put my pen away, reached inside my wallet, pulled out the lone five-euro bill, and dropped it in his violin case. Leveo smiled through his missing teeth, held up his index finger as if to say 'I've got something for you too', and launched into a rousing rendition of 'Oh Susannah', a Southern classic he thought I might enjoy. I laughed. Someone walked by and dropped a 2-euro piece in his violin case. Leveo winked at me and I waved goodbye.

- By Jeff, 'On-The-Street' in Brussels

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