Beneath the roar of Manhattan’s subways, one musician turns a crowded platform into his stage. Kayhan “Leftie” Baratali, a one-armed bassist from Rockland County, fills the NYC subway tunnels with deep, rolling rhythms that reflect both his skill and his journey overcoming adversity.
Every performance represents not just artistic passion but remarkable dedication. For 16 years, Baratali has made the daily trek across the Hudson — a three-hour round trip — to play for passing New Yorkers. “It’s part of the job,” he says with a grin. “If I want to play for this city, I have to come to it.”
Born without his left arm, Baratali first discovered music through an unlikely source — the video game Guitar Hero. That spark turned into a passion. Teaching himself to play bass with a customized technique, he developed a style that’s as distinctive as his sound.
Still, music wasn’t always his plan. Encouraged by his family’s sacrifices, in college Baratali enrolled in engineering school. But during exam season, tragedy struck — his mother passed away. “If I play my guitar loud enough and rock hard enough,” he says, “maybe she can hear me in heaven.” The loss pushed him to leave school and chase his passion, playing music, full-time.
Since then, Baratali has built his career on the city’s streets and subway platforms, recently earning a coveted spot in the MTA’s Music Under New York program — which features licensed performers at some of the busiest stations in the system.
Each day, thousands of riders briskly walk past his performances. Some stop for a song or two, others for longer. “People don’t always know what they’re looking for until they hear it,” he says, his bass echoing under the rumble of a passing train.
For Leftie, every note carries a message of perseverance — proof that limitations don’t define what’s possible. His sound, born from challenge and carried through concrete tunnels, continues to remind New Yorkers that resilience can be loud, proud, and full of groove.
