Homeless Woman Wows with Incredible Singing Voice in Viral Video
An LAPD officer was at the Metro Purple Line station in Koreatown, Los Angeles, when he captured a moment that has gone on to capture thousands of hearts.
The Los Angeles Metro may not conjure images of the sophisticated and beautiful — but one 52-year-old homeless woman is doing her part to challenge that perception.
“Today I met 52 year old Emily,” reads an Instagram post by a man who by his photos appears to be an LAPD officer.
“At first glance she looked like another one of LA’s many mentally ill, drug using, or down on her luck homeless citizens,” he wrote.
“She said back in Russia she was always chosen in her school to lead her chorus until her family moved to America. Once in America one thing led to another which left her homeless many years ago.”
“She went on to tell me she is currently rescuing pigeons and that is what is in the boxes in her cart. That isn’t something I would choose to do but I continued to listen to her story. She said her father was in the military and during the war they used pigeons as messengers that ultimately saved many soldier’s lives.”
“She didn’t claim to be mentally ill even though she may have been and she didn’t seem to be a drug addict. She didn’t make excuses, blame her family, or the government for how she became homeless,” he continued.
“All she talked about was how she loves to sing. I then asked her to please sing me something and this is what she did.”
The video was shared on Instagram on Sept. 24, and on Sept. 26, the LAPD Headquarters Facebook page also shared the clip.
“4 million people call LA home,” reads the post’s caption. “4 million stories. 4 million voices…sometimes you just have to stop and listen to one, to hear something beautiful.”
As the woman’s talent spread on social media, news outlets reached out to the singer to learn more of her story.
Classically trained in piano and violin, Emily (who is formally Emily Zamourka) used to earn money by performing with her $10,000 violin. But, according to an interview with KABC, that all changed when her precious instrument was stolen.
“It was my income,” she said. “It was my everything to me.”
Robbed of her means of income, Zamourka told KABC that she became homeless. That was around three years ago, and now she finds herself wandering, rescuing pigeons and singing in the metro stations.
“You know why I do it in the subway?” Zamourka said, according to KNBC. “Because it sounds so great.”
Some people expressed hope the viral video would bring the homeless woman an opportunity to get on stage and pull herself out of her situation.
Zamourka says she would be happy to perform again.
“Thank you for that,” she said. “I don’t know what to say. I’ve been praying really hard.”
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