As humans, it’s sometimes easy to get lost in the day to day. It’s only natural, right? We walk the streets with our noses in our phones, or type that report away on our computer at work, or sit in front of the TV at night, tuning out the world. No matter what’s going on in your life, it can sometimes be easy to miss the beauty around us.
One woman named Emily Zamourka is the total opposite of that. Though homeless for about three years, with every reason to want to tune out the world, the 52-year-old lives each day with a positivity that might be foreign to others. And one day, she decided to share it with the world. Well, the people on the subway in Los Angeles at least.
It was not the best day for Zamourka. She had gotten on the wrong rain and realized she was lost. But instead of fretting over it, she decided that singing might make her feel better. “I was just thinking, ‘Oh, I’m gonna sing a little bit, maybe that’ll make me feel better,'” the Russian immigrant told CNN.
When an began to make his way towards her, Zamourka panicked a little. “It kind of hesitated me because, you know how they are. They don’t really want you to make any nuisance! And opera is loud,” she said.
But he did the opposite of make her stop. In fact, he began to tape her and asked her to sing more. The police officer later posted the video on the Los Angeles Police Department Facebook page, causing it to go viral. People coined her “The Subway Soprano” and wanted to do anything to find her again.
To see Zamourka singing beautiful opera on the subway, check out the video below.
Since then, a GoFundMe campaign was created to help her raise money, raking in more than $60,000. The Downtown Women’s Center, a homeless charity in Los Angeles, also offered to help find her housing.
“From the bottom of my heart I just wanted to thank everyone for what they’re doing,” Zamourka said. “And what they’re trying still to do.”
Zamourka has always had a love of music, and was even a violinist in her earlier years. But when she was diagnosed with a serious illness, she couldn’t keep up with her medical bills and therefore rent. It wasn’t long before she was trying to make a living singing on the subway.
Now, that’s finally paid off for her. After going viral, Zamourka was offered to perform the song that made her famous on stage in front of a live audience who gathered to celebrate the designation of Los Angeles’ new Little Italy.
On top of that, Joel Diamond, a Grammy-nominated music producer offered Zamourka her very own recoding contract. “Emily’s story is what dreams are made of,” Diamond told CNN. “And I never turn my back on a dream.”
To hear more about the talent herself, check out the video below!
Wow! Can you believe how quickly someone’s life can change? What do you think of Zamourka’s talent?