Bobby Cash

Guwahati, April 4: If Bihu is all about song and dance, then the festivities are starting early this time with India's only country singer — Bobby Cash — is all set to enthral music-lovers at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra on Saturday.

The show to which “everyone’s invited” is an initiative of the Guwahati Music Society to promote “good music”.

“Country music is as good and earthy as Bihu songs. So we thought why not start this year's festivity with one of the biggest names in the genre?” said a member of the music society. “Some may object to the concept but Bihu is all-encompassing and we have got positive response from the people,” he said.

Bobby Cash is the first Indian ever to release a country music album in the country and is an international celebrity with a huge fan following across the world, especially Australia where he is among the top stars. Born Bal Kishore Das Loiwal, Bobby grew up and resides in Clement Town near Dehradun.

Pinuel Basumatary, secretary of the Guwahati Music Society, said “the society will present the legendary country singer with the aim of bringing something new to music lovers of the region”.

The show, to be held under the open skies on the Kalakshetra lawns, will start at 6.30pm.

The music society — an association of music lovers of the region — had earlier presented several classical music shows starting with its maiden piano and violin concerts in the city.

Basumatary said the Guwahati Music Society was founded in 2001 “with the primary objective of creating opportunities for musicians to perform and audiences to listen to good music, both classical and contemporary, with particular focus on Western music”.

About Bobby, he said the singer who is known as the “Indian Cowboy” has single-handedly driven the country bandwagon in India.

“He is as good as they get and looks as much the typical country singer with a cowboy hat, leather jacket and black leather pants and Texan boots. Bobby has also drawn inspiration from masters like Jim Reeves, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Kenny Rogers.”

His first country music album Cowboy at Heart was a bestseller.

The 46-year-old Bobby is quoted as saying, “I think country music is very close to the Indian psyche because country music is about life, roots, family, home and all of these things are close to the Indian heart. Once they listen to the words and music they understand that it is something they can identify with.”

Come Saturday and music-lovers will know why country music is cashing in on the Bobby charm.