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Amsterdam's Got Busking Talent - coming soon to a street corner near you?

An Amsterdam councillor says buskers should have to pass an audition before they are given a licence to play on the street.

Marijke Shahsavari-Jansen, a member of the Christian Democrat (CDA) faction, believes the city could even turn the auditions into an organised contest along the lines of Idols or Holland’s Got Talent.

The buskers would have to perform in front of a jury whose members would include fellow musicians and residents of the city.

Shahsavari-Jansen said regulating buskers would allow the council to draw up a rota to improve the quality and variety of music on Amsterdam’s streets.

“Every musician or group would only be allowed to perform a certain number of times per day at a specific place, and the plan is set up to guarantee the variety of what is on offer,” she told HP/de Tijd.

City officials have got into trouble in the past over their handling of street musicians. Last year Amsterdam’s most famous busker, blind organist Bennie Volkers, was removed from his regular spot outside the Nieuwe Kerk by four police officers because he did not have a licence to perform. A campaign by Dutch celebrities and local residents saw him reinstated.

Source: Joop.nl: CDA Amsterdam: Muzikanten eerst op auditie voor vergunning

Photo by panic