S'pore busker, 11, makes S$900 by performing English, Mandarin, Cantonese & Hokkien songs

One of Singapore's youngest buskers, 11-year-old Elijah Seah, has drawn crowds for his singing and musical talents.

Since November 2025, he has made over S$900 performing in shopping malls and outside MRT stations once a month, according to Shin Min Daily News.

For about one to two hours each time, the St Joseph's Institution Junior Primary 5 student would sing a mix of pop-rock songs in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hokkien. He has not decided how to spend the money yet, he tells Shin Min.

"Getting to see other people’s smiles when they watch me is the best part," Seah said.

Early beginnings

Seah first fell in love with music when he was five, inspired by hearing his family's domestic helper singing.

He started attending vocal classes and learned his first song, Coldplay's "Viva La Vida", in a month.

It was the song of his first public performance at his school's Teachers' Day celebrations when he was in Primary 3.

"The whole school was singing with me," he recalled. "It boosted my confidence."

Over the years, Seah picked up the guitar and the ukulele, incorporating them in his performances.

A budding performer

Seah described himself as an extrovert who is not afraid of interacting with strangers.

In October 2025, his guitar teacher encouraged him to participate in an audition by the National Arts Council (NAC), and he began busking a month after.

His mother, a 44-year-old deputy director at a government agency, remarked that she has noticed her son improve in his performance skills over time.

"He grows with every performance. These are things you can’t learn in the classroom," she said, as quoted by Shin Min.

Going abroad

Looking ahead, Seah has plans to grow his singing career overseas.

In May, he passed two rounds of auditions for Rising Voices, a popular Chinese children's music show, performing Jay Chou's "Sunny Day" and Beyond's "Boundless Sea and Sky".

He will travel to China to participate in the competition in August, Shin Min reported.