Music transcends borders, genders, cultures and even species. Norwegian country musician Steffen Jakobsen is living proof that this goes for country music too. Born in 1990, Jakobsen started singing when he was 12 years old and first got hold of a guitar. He grew up in a home where country music was part of the everyday sound and his powerful voice quickly earned him the nickname “Pavarotti”.

Starting out with some Elvis songs, Jakobsen expanded his range to the entire country music genre inspired by the songs of Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. He started busking in the neighborhood of their home in Skiftenes in Grimstadt, Norway then moved up to gigs in the military bases. His demo CD when he was 16 proved so popular that he decided to produce a full CD two years later. He writes some of his songs while his mother, Heidi, writes others and they try meticulously to keep to the traditional country music sound.

Jakobsen is not picky about his audiences, playing country music to large and small groups. He helped organize the Christmas concert for the Grimstadt church which drew over 1,000 and was a guest artist at the Arendal Cultural Centre before a full house. Jakobsen, whose nickname in school switched to “Johnny Cash”, has performed at the Breim Country Festival, the Vinstra Country Music Festival and at Scandinavia's biggest the Seljord Country Music Festival.

Although country music as such saw the light in the North American continent and spread through related English-speaking nations like the UK, Australia and Ireland, its appeal and popularity in other countries has prompted the CMA to institute an International Artist Achievement Award. Country music organizations have sprung up in countries like Switzerland, Holland, Austria, Italy, France and Poland. An International Festival of Country Music was organized in 1969 and ran for 23 years featuring country music stars, among them Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. Public demand has led its organizers to revive the event with the support of artists like Reba McEntire. In 2012, the event will be held on February 26 at its traditional home, the Wembley Arena.

An International Country Music Conference provides country music scholars from around the world to discuss and share their country music work. The ICMC will hold its 29th conference from May 24 – 26, 2012 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, right at the south end of Music Row.

All this activity goes to show that Steffen Jakobsen is riding the wave of a world-wide interest in country music and will find himself at home wherever he travels to perform.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6RFTCWR6B4[/video]

Visit Steffen's website .... Steffen Jakobsen