(PARIS) Some 1,000 people are expected to compete for 300 prized permits to busk the Paris métro. The auditions, which started Tuesday, are organised by the Paris transport network, the RATP. The 300 successful candidates will be given permission to perform in the underground passages of Paris's underground stations for the next six months, although many more do so illegally.

Interested musicians can apply at 102, rue de Charonne or by emailing RATP at musiciensdumetro@ratp.fr.

Métro busking has sometimes marked the beginning of distinguished musical careers. Keziah Jones, Manu Dibango, Ben Harper all started as buskers.

The auditions continue until the end of October.

www.rfi.fr ...

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Street entertainers are to be allowed to perform on a privately-owned stretch of London Docklands for the first time, after its owners announced plans to award busking permits in a bid to revitalise the area.

St Katharine Docks in Wapping - next to the Tower of London and owned by property company F&C Reit - is now looking for performers such as magicians, jugglers and musicians to entertain in one of four designated zones within the site.

One of the proposed busking areas sits on the riverfront next to Tower Bridge, while another would see performers make use of a courtyard space known as Centre Basin.

The street performers idea is part of a wider initiative aimed at raising awareness of St Katharine Docks and increasing visitors to it, which is being overseen by Gossip Consultancy on behalf of F&C Reit. It is hoped that the initiative will help enliven the area, in much...

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(WWW) It seems the organization 'Ranking4You' has taken on the task of presenting buskers for your approval. In "Top 20 Street Performers", they examine Dea Matrona, Kylabelle, Jesica Doolan, Zoe Clarke, Hannah Kinsella and Caseto.This time around, they visit Grafton Street - one of the two main shopping streets in downtown Dublin. They also visit streets in LA, Colorado, Belfast, Stockholm, Northeast Brazil and Sinchon/Seoul.

"Our intention is to publicize the work of the artists that you guys present to us, that reach us and that we consider to be of good quality, regardless of whether or not they are known to the general public. Don't get us wrong but our purpose is to promote timeless performances that can inspire old and new street artists and touch the audience."

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Violinist Joshua Bell was left shocked and disappointed when he realised parents don't like their children paying attention to street musicians during a recent busking experiment.The acclaimed classical musician dressed down and wore a disguise for his odd free show at the Washington D.C. Metro (subway) station - and was surprised no one recognised him.

Reporting back to editors of the Washington Post newspaper, who came up with the ruse, Bell confessed he was appalled to discover so many adults don't like their children to stop for buskers.

He tells WENN, "I had a baseball hat on and tattered clothes, so, if there was anyone who had been to my concerts, they would not have known it was me.

"It was sad and interesting because children tended to want to stop and listen and parents...

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(THE BUSKING PROJECT) With a tag line of 3 writers, 5 continents, and 1 mission, the Busking Project has released a paperback book detailing some of it's exploits in the wide world of street performing.As Busker Central continues it's book review series, we find Nick Broad, Chris Smith, and Belle Crawford. The three visit forty cities across five continents to document buskers remarking they are "universally misunderstood, under appreciated, and often criminalized."

Including some (mis)adventures, hundreds of supporters help the trio with advice, equipment, support, money, time, and encouragement in completion of the global trek. Starting in Lisbon and ending in Rio, the whole trip reveals trials and tribulations as it unfolds.

Covering 40 cities in 10 months, the plan was to visit a new city every...

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