Musicians in Tamil Nadu struggle to support family amid COVID-19 lockdown

Despite the relaxation of certain lockdown restrictions, musicians in Tamil Nadu are struggling to support their families amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Singer Famina Bruce Lee and her husband, Bruce Lee, an orchestral trumpet player, told that since the lockdown was enforced four months ago, they have completely lost their source of income.

"This pandemic has completely turned our lives upside down. My husband is a musician and I am a singer. He plays the trumpet and drums at weddings and other functions around the city. Before the pandemic, we used to earn up to Rs 60,000 a month. That was just about enough to run the household, maintain instruments and send our two children to school. It has been over 125 days since the first day of the lockdown, we don't have any money left and no means of additional income," Lee told .

She further said, "I never thought I would see a day where I don't know where my family's next meal would come from. After exhausting our savings, we don't know how we are going to feed our children in the coming days. The pandemic has completely pushed us into a corner. My parents and my extended family are also musicians like us, they also have been severely affected by this lockdown as we have.

Despite this, Famina has done her best to keep the kids in a happy mood, she told .

"I am grateful that I have time to spend with my children. They host fundraising Facebook Live videos and perform popular songs for their audience nearly every day," Famina added.

The Tamil Nadu government, on Thursday, announced the extension of the COVID-19 lockdown till August 31 in light of the increasing number of positive cases in the state.

A total of 5,879 new COVID-19 cases and 99 deaths were reported in Tamil Nadu on Saturday, taking the state count of coronavirus cases to 2,51,738.

( With inputs from ANI )