Country music makes inroads in the city

Whistles and hollers erupt as the lights go down, showing that this collection of more denim and plaid, than anywhere else in the eastern hemisphere, was ready to rock at Saturday night’s Blazing Guitars 2. The 1,500-seat Music Academy at TTK Road was nearly packed by attendees of the country music concert organised by the publication, Anglos in the Wind, and the band, The New Horizons.The captivating show was reminiscent of a warm summer night, sitting in the grass at a Nashville country music festivals, and had all of the accompanying southern charm. The concert was a major production that took months of planning and rehearsals for a band that played over 30 different tunes in one night.“It took almost three months of hard work and rehearsals. During the period, we all had our ups and downs, but on stage, we always pulled it off. It was a great show,” said Barry D’Rozario, musical director of Blazing Guitars.The concert opened with a solemn but sweet performance of Power of Love, and then the kicked off and set list spanning almost the entirety of the country music repertoire that included music by legends like Brad Paisley, Patty Lovelace, George Straight and of course, Chet Atkins.“I will always keep the live country music scene alive in Chennai,” said Barry. “I’m glad that I brought country music to a wider audience in not just Chennai, but probably in India.” The concert also included cameos by the legendary guitarist, Tommy Smith, who showed off his virtuosity and experience with classic tunes by Mel Torme and Chet Atkins along with the infamous Guitar Boogie by Arthur Smith.But whether it was the twangy guitar solos by Darren Netto, the keyboard support from Barry or the solid harmonies from Conrad Simmons, all of the musicians were radiant, and the balance of the ensemble was superb and the chemistry was hard to beat. “It was brilliant playing for a great audience with brilliant musicians.Very awesome. You can’t explain it in words,” said Conrad.The crowd was elated and the concert concluded with an inspiring performance of Let Your Love Go that brought all musicians and singers onstage and had everyone in the audience on their feet dancing and clapping.“I felt like a rock star,” said singer, Amanda Doggett.She was seemingly proud of her first performance at Blazing Guitars and her contribution to the Anglo- Indian community. “It definitely brings out what we Anglo-Indians have and the passion for country music.We love to dance, so we love country music. It gets our feet tapping.”