He is not the loudest musician this sunny Sunday afternoon in August at the Berlin Mauerpark, but one, whose music you cannot escape: Singer-songwriter Padraig McLoughlins voice goes straight to your heart.
If you want to experience Berlin’s legendary attitude, you should visit the Mauerpark (literally Wall Park) on a Sunday afternoon. Situated in what was once the militarized “death strip” of the Berlin Wall that divided the city, the park has nowadays become a social, cultural, and artistic hotspot that attracts thousands of visitors every weekend. You can stroll around the flea market or just relax, listening to life music from one of those many buskers from all over the world who bring their soulful tunes to the park. Normally you need a permit for playing music on the streets in Berlin, but Mauerpark is one of the few spots, where both musicians and the community can enjoy the music due to an arrangement with the government.
I have just watched a hip-hop crew at the Mauerpark amphitheater and a group of drummers whose rhythm and dancing draws a crowd of onlookers, when I pass by Padraig McLoughlin who probably stands out of all the other musicians at the park by not trying to stand out: He wears jeans and a black shirt and has just put out his guitar case with his current CD in front of him. In that way, you have to focus on his singing: With his gentle voice he crafts beautiful, heartfelt songs. Playing the guitar has a transformative power on the people sitting in the grass or passing by: Even though the park is crowded and loud, the melody softens the people and brings them into a peaceful mood.
Pau-Rick Mäck-Lock-lin, as you pronounce his name, originates from Navan, a city near Dublin, Ireland. Since 2015 he is discovering Europe, playing his own songs wherever he is: In Dublin, London, Copenhagen – and since 18 months in Berlin. “I’ve grown a lot as a musician and person since arriving here in Berlin”, he tells me. Currently he is recording new material and is planning to release some tracks in the near future. When he starts working on new songs, he normally begins with a melody and a chord structure on his guitar. “Songwriting can be a very cathartic experience, and I often find out what I truly feel about a situation or experience when I take pen to paper and write a song”, Padraig explains.
Would he like to stay in Berlin or continue his musical globetrotter journey in Europe? “I do love this city. However I am on the apartment hunt again and it’s a challenging endeavor to say the least. So, all going well, I’ll have a new place by the end of September and I can continue to enjoy life here in Berlin”. We keep our fingers crossed!
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