The subway singer whose voice echoed throughout Los Angeles after a video of an impromptu performance on a train platform shared by local police went viral last week performed at a Little Italy celebration in Los Angeles on Oct. 5.
Emily Zamourka, 52, took the stage for a brief concert during Saturday’s Historic Little Italy Sign Unveiling & Festa in downtown San Pedro.
She serenaded the crowd just after 5:30 p.m. during the festivities, centered at 230 W. 6th Street.
The event, hosted by Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino, features authentic Italian food, a beer and wine garden, Bocce ball, live entertainment and more to celebrate the designation of Little Italy in downtown San Pedro, as well as the unveiling of the Little Italy sign.
Floods of Support
Video of Zamourka singing an Italian opera on a Los Angeles subway platform went viral last week, inspiring multiple offers of professional and financial support.
Viewers have reached out through social media to offer Emily Zamourka housing in the form of an Airbnb. One California man has invited her to perform at a local event and set up a Gofundme campaign to raise money to replace an instrument Zamourka said was stolen from her, according to local media reports.
“I just can’t believe that that’s happening,” Zamourka told reporters.
She has been offered a recording deal by music producer Joel Diamond.
The producer hopes to create a “new and innovative Classical/EDM crossover hit record” with Zamourka, a press release said.
“Emily’s story is what dreams are made of and I never turn my back on a dream,” Diamond said.
She told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that her dreams are coming true and that she’s “ready to be a working artist.”
Meanwhile, two GoFundMe campaigns have raised thousands of dollars for her, with one surpassing $70,000 and the other raising more than $30,000.
Zamourka grew up in Russia and moved to Los Angeles in 1992 to become a singer and performer. For years, she sang and played the violin and supplemented her income by teaching piano lessons. After her violin was stolen in 2016, Zamourka struggled to pay the bills and was soon evicted from her apartment.
“That’s when all the problems started,” Zamourka said.
Emotional Reunion With Officer
Emily Zamourka’s life has changed dramatically in the few days since a Los Angeles police officer shared a video of her singing in the subway, and on Wednesday night she got to say thank you.
The Los Angles Police Department (LAPD) shared a video of Zamourka’s emotional sidewalk reunion with the officer, identified only as Frazier, on social media. They shared a long hug and she can be heard briefly crying over the traffic noise and a nearby bus.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she said as the officer patted her back.
We saw with our brains, but we listened with our hearts.
Her voice continues to captivate our city, and as the offers for help pour in, we asked: “Emily, what can we do for you?” Her answer: “I want to thank Officer Frazier for taking the video.”
Her wish was granted tonight. pic.twitter.com/lH4V51YTZ4
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) October 3, 2019
The initial video, shared by the LAPD officer, shows her singing “O Mio Babbino Caro” by the Italian composer Giacomo Puccini as she stands loaded with bags on the platform.
The clip posted on LAPD’s social media account with the caption “4 million people call LA home. 4 million stories. 4 million voices… sometimes you just have to stop and listen to one, to hear something beautiful” had been watched over 1,080,000 times by Sunday.
4 million people call LA home. 4 million stories. 4 million voices…sometimes you just have to stop and listen to one, to hear something beautiful. pic.twitter.com/VzlmA0c6jX
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) September 27, 2019
The CNN Wire and Reuters contributed to this report.