Notes from the Street: JoJe's Musical Journey Across 100 Cities
Written by Marie Joncquez (@mariejoncquez)
JoJe is a Korean musician who performs on streets across the globe. I first discovered him in a grainy video of a street performance, where he delivered an impressive guitar solo at the Avignon festival. Through his Instagram, I've followed his performances across European countries like Scotland and Switzerland.
Travel has become JoJe's way of life. "I've been travelling for a long time—even before COVID-19. So far, I've visited 20 countries and around 100 cities worldwide," he explains. Performing on the street, which he calls "the jungle," has led to many memorable encounters.
One particularly difficult experience occurred in Costa Rica: "I ran into a crazy local woman who was on drugs. She absolutely hated me for some reason—she hit my musical equipment, punched me in the stomach, and even slapped me. I had no choice but to go to the police station with her. The funny thing is, they put handcuffs on me too!"
Most encounters, however, have been positive. JoJe values these interactions above all else: "I've mostly met amazing people—kind, cheerful audiences, generous helpers who treated me like family. Some invited me to stay with them, cooked for me, shared their stories. I found something in them that I feel is missing in my life back in Korea."
These reflections reveal deeper motivations behind JoJe's travels. Born in Korea, he initially tried to establish himself as a musician in Hongdae, which he calls "my playground" from his days as "an unknown artist." The struggle eventually took a toll on his mental health. "I fell into a deep depression, to the point where I wanted to give up on life," he admits. A friend's unexpected suggestion to travel became his salvation. "That one choice led me to where I am now. I'm still on the road, figuring things out."
JoJe recently completed a European mini-tour through Switzerland and France, where he believes audiences "were into Korean culture to some extent." Whether performing on streets or in venues, he found the audiences "cheerful and supportive as always!"
While some of JoJe's tracks are available on streaming platforms, many remain unrecorded. "I often play unreleased songs too. As a traveling musician, it's not easy to record and mix everything by myself—especially when I'm constantly on the move every few days. So for now, I just write songs and play them live as often as I can!"
He notes the irony of his international audience: "Since I've been traveling with my music, my audience has mostly been international people. The funny thing is, I've never actually tried busking in Korea—not even once. It's ironic, right? I've played on streets all over the world, but never in my own country."
JoJe remains humble about his abilities. "I realised early on that I don't have some huge musical gift, but I just love doing it—that's what's brought me here."
As for the future, he says, "I used to dream of being a rock star—that was the only plan I had. But now... I hope to create more international opportunities, play at more events, and finally release some of my unreleased songs." Beyond his musical aspirations, JoJe has a deeper goal: "I want to keep living a life with music for as long as I can. And I hope I can become the kind of person I've met on the road—those who treated me like family. I want to give unconditionally, just like they did. That's both my wish and my hope."