Country Music Day 2023: Indian fans, musicians on why they enjoy the genre
Updated On: 20 September, 2023 09:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Nascimento Pinto
India boasts of many different genres of music that are loved by all but among them is a simmering sub-culture of country music, which is not only being enjoyed by people of all ages but also played. Marking International Country Music Day earlier this month, we spoke to country music fans and a musician to know their love for the genre
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Winston Balman is a Delhi-based country music musician who has been performing in India for a little over 10 years now. Photo Courtesy: Winston Balman
Growing up in Dehradun, Delhi-based Winston Balman was surrounded by country music right from the early days, along with other music that came up around him, starting with his family. as he had access to his father and uncle’s large cassette collection that included some of the good ol’ country classics from the 60s, 70s and 80s. “I grew up in Dehradun, which has a lot of Anglo Indians, and we were exposed to a lot of different kinds of music. I was very lucky to have my dad`s and uncle`s cassette collection, which had a lot of country music from the 60s, 70s and 80s.” Since his mother and father were both working, Balman used to spend a lot of time with the cassettes and keenly took an affinity towards country music and rock. Today, the Anglo Indian is one of the few country musicians in India, to regularly sing and play.
Every year, the world observes International Country Music Day on September 17 to celebrate country music. The genre has been popularly known to have originated from the Southern and Southwestern United States of America and particularly categorised in the 1920s. However, over the years, the music genre has transcended boundaries and even travelled all the way to India. While the country already boasts of so many genres, there are many who enjoy listening and playing country music too. Then there are those like, who not play but also write songs in the genre and have picked it up as their career. Apart from Dehradun-based Bobby Cash and Bengaluru-based Sheridan Brass and a few others from Shillong, Balman is only one of them. Incidentally, he also happens to hail from the region that also boasts of Cash, one of the earliest Indian country musicians to make the genre popular in the country.
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