THE Entertainment and Sports Sub-Committee of the Local Organising Committee for the August 2013 United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly has started auditioning artistes and artisans in all fields to come up with a list of performers to provide entertainment during the tourism conference.

Artists would be selected from fields such as music, dance, visual arts, crafts, theatre arts, film industry, traditional food, fashion and design and beauty pageants and blacksmith among others.

The committee auditioned Livingstone-based musicians and other artistes while other performers in Southern Province would be auditioned at later stage.

Entertainment and Sports Sub-Committee chairperson James Zimba said the first auditions would be held in Livingstone at Mukuni Park from 10:00 hours to 17 hours to select official performers for the UNWTO General Assembly.

"We will have auditions at Mukuni Park in Livingstone to select artistes and artisans who will be official entertainers during the UNWTO General Assembly.

"After this event, we will go out in other parts of Southern Province to conduct similar auditions and select official performers," Mr Zimba said.

The committee is targeting to engage Mpande, a Choma musician with a famous album and a hit song known as Ndikapaale (I am a Smart person).

Other groups to be targeted for auditions are Budima traditional dancers from

Siavonga, 'Mukanzubo' performers from Monze and Short Mazabuka and Nsabata's Gonde Dance Troupe from Mazabuka among others.

Zimba said artists from other parts of Zambia would also be auditioned after which a final list of official performers

for the UNWTO conference would be compiled.

He said once a list of official artistes was compiled, a joint entertainment programme for Zambia and Zimbabwe artists would be launched.

Zambia is expected to host the closing ceremony of the UNWTO General Assembly in Livingstone at Maramba Stadium where various artists are expected to stage their performances.

The committee has already drawn up a choreographed programme which includes music, dance, poetry and 'stand up' comedy under the 'African drum' among other items for the global tourism conference.