country music in india
March 6, 2012 12:58 PM
Popularity of country music in India?
My girlfriend, who grew up in Bombay, has a very strong sentimental attachment to country music--especially Jim Reeves--inherited from her late father. Finding devotees of American country music in India is the last thing I would have expected...are her tastes are an anomaly? Can you tell me anything about the reception of American country music in India?
My girlfriend, who grew up in Bombay, has a very strong sentimental attachment to country music--especially Jim Reeves--inherited from her late father. Finding devotees of American country music in India is the last thing I would have expected...are her tastes are an anomaly? Can you tell me anything about the reception of American country music in India?
Some interesting info to be found on Jim Reeves on Wikipedia. Quote from there: "Reeves had many fans in both India and Sri Lanka since the 1960s, and is probably the all-time most popular English language singer in Sri Lanka. His Christmas carols are especially popular, and music stores continue to carry his CDs or audio cassettes."
His popularity internationally seems odd for a country singer in the 60s, but given that, he may have been a gateway musician to the genre for your girlfriend's father and others.
posted by cecic at 1:52 PM on March 6, 2012
His popularity internationally seems odd for a country singer in the 60s, but given that, he may have been a gateway musician to the genre for your girlfriend's father and others.
posted by cecic at 1:52 PM on March 6, 2012
I saw an article in the Popular Culture Association journal a few years back arguing that country music is really popular in more rural parts of India and Sri Lanka because of its lyrics
posted by spunweb at 2:22 PM on March 6, 2012
posted by spunweb at 2:22 PM on March 6, 2012
Another anecdotal data point -- I too listened to Jim Reeves (and also John Denver) because of my dad and I grew up in Chennai, India. I'm 26.
posted by peacheater at 3:09 PM on March 6, 2012
posted by peacheater at 3:09 PM on March 6, 2012
Anecdata: About 10 years ago when I was living in Kolkata, I knew several people who were into country music and Texas culture (where I'm from), which seemed very weird to me at the time. Most of these Indian friends were in their 20s at the time, and they had an affection for Garth Brooks, Dolly, George Strait, basically people who were really big in the late 80s and early 90s. Maybe a generational thing.
posted by ch3ch2oh at 7:53 PM on March 6, 2012
posted by ch3ch2oh at 7:53 PM on March 6, 2012
Other than Jim Reeves and John Denver, haven't heard of it much.
posted by epiphinite at 6:13 AM on March 7, 2012
posted by epiphinite at 6:13 AM on March 7, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
The fact that the taste was inherited from her father is significant. I don't know who Jim Reeves is, but it wouldn't have been unusual for someone from his generation to listen to whatever was popular in America at that time.
(I'm 26, if it helps in comparing with your girlfriend).
posted by Idle Curiosity at 1:21 PM on March 6, 2012