Country music

===Other international country music===
Tom Roland, from the [[Country Music Association]] International, explains country music's global popularity: "In this respect, at least, Country Music listeners around the globe have something in common with those in the United States. In Germany, for instance, Rohrbach identifies three general groups that gravitate to the genre: people intrigued with the US cowboy icon, middle-aged fans who seek an alternative to harder rock music and younger listeners drawn to the pop-influenced sound that underscores many current Country hits."<ref name=int/> One of the first US people to perform country music abroad was [[George Hamilton IV]]. He was the first country musician to perform in the [[Soviet Union]]; he also toured in Australia and the Middle East. He was deemed the "International Ambassador of Country Music" for his contributions to the [[globalization]] of country music.<ref>[http://www.lib.unc.edu/spotlight/hamilton_loudermilk.html Lib.unc.edu] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729111222/http://www.lib.unc.edu/spotlight/hamilton_loudermilk.html |date=July 29, 2013 }} "Country Music Figures Donate Papers, Give Concert"</ref> Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Keith Urban, and Dwight Yoakam have also made numerous international tours.<ref name="int">{{Cite web|url=http://www.cmaworld.com/international/default.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923182808/http://www.cmaworld.com/international/default.asp|url-status=dead|title=CMAworld.com|archive-date=September 23, 2010}}</ref> The [[Country Music Association]] undertakes various initiatives to promote country music internationally.<ref name=int/>

====Middle East====
In [[Iran]], country music has appeared in recent years. According to ''Melody Music Magazine'', the pioneer of country music in Iran is the English-speaking country music band [[Dream Rovers]], whose founder, singer and songwriter is Erfan Rezayatbakhsh (elf).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.melodymag.com/2012/07/%DA%AF%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B4%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%81%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%AA%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%AC%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%87-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%82%DB%8C/|title=گزارشی از فعالیت‌های جدید گروه موسیقی کنتریِ "دریم رووِرز" مجله موسیقی ملودی|access-date=August 14, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728030801/http://www.melodymag.com/2012/07/%DA%AF%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B4%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%81%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%AA%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%AC%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%87-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%82%DB%8C/|archive-date=July 28, 2012}}</ref> The band was formed in 2007 in [[Tehran]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dreamrovers.com/biography/ |title=Dream Rovers – Biography |access-date=August 14, 2012}}</ref> and during this time they have been trying to introduce and popularize country music in Iran by releasing two studio albums<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.melodymag.com/2011/08/%D8%A2%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%85-%D9%81%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B4%E2%80%8C%D8%A8%DA%A9-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%87-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%82%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%88/|title=آلبوم فلاش‌بک از گروه موسیقی دریم روورز مجله موسیقی ملودی|access-date=August 14, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031171934/http://www.melodymag.com/2011/08/%D8%A2%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%85-%D9%81%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B4%E2%80%8C%D8%A8%DA%A9-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%87-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%82%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%88/|archive-date=October 31, 2012}}</ref> and performing live at concerts, despite the difficulties that the Islamic regime in Iran makes for bands that are active in the western music field.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jadidonline.com/story/25042011/frnk/iran_country_music |title=رؤیانوردان تهران جدید آنلاین |access-date=August 14, 2012}}</ref>

Musician [[Toby Keith]] performed alongside Saudi Arabian folk musician [[Rabeh Sager]] in 2017.<ref name="NPR.org 2017">{{cite web | title=How Did Toby Keith Get To Do A Concert In Saudi Arabia? | website=NPR | date=May 22, 2017 | url=https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2017/05/22/529500923/how-did-toby-keith-get-to-do-a-concert-in-saudi-arabia | access-date=October 13, 2022}}</ref><ref name="France-Presse 2017">{{cite web | agency=Agence France-Presse | title=Women and whisky: country star Toby Keith to sing during Trump Saudi Arabia visit | website=the Guardian | date=May 19, 2017 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/19/women-and-whisky-country-star-toby-keith-to-sing-during-trump-saudi-arabia-visit | access-date=October 13, 2022}}</ref> This concert was similar to the performances of [[Jazz ambassadors]] that performed distinctively American style music internationally.<ref name="Plis 2017">{{cite web | last=Plis | first=Ivan | title=Sending Toby Keith to Saudi Arabia Is a Genius Move | website=The National Interest | date=May 18, 2017 | url=https://nationalinterest.org/feature/sending-toby-keith-saudi-arabia-genius-move-20736 | access-date=October 13, 2022}}</ref>

====Continental Europe====
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2019}}
[[File:Vanha-Isanta-1974-a.jpg|thumb|Vanha Isäntä, a [[Finland|Finnish]] country rock band, performing at the [[Helsinki Festival]]'s open-air concert in [[Kaivopuisto]] in 1974. Seppo Sillanpää (violin) on the left and Olli Haavisto (guitar) on the right.]]
In [[Sweden]], [[Rednex]] rose to stardom combining country music with [[synthpop|electro-pop]] in the 1990s. In 1994, the group had a worldwide hit with their version of the traditional Southern tune "[[Cotton-Eyed Joe]]". Artists popularizing more traditional country music in Sweden have been [[Ann-Louise Hanson]], [[Hasse Andersson]], [[Kikki Danielsson]], [[Elisabeth Andreassen]] and [[Jill Johnson]]. In [[Poland]] an international country music festival, known as [[Piknik Country]], has been organised in [[Mrągowo]] in [[Masuria]] since 1983. The number of country music artists in France has increased. Some of the most important{{according to whom|date=July 2022}} are [[Liane Edwards]], Annabel, Rockie Mountains, Tahiana, and Lili West. French [[rock and roll]] singer [[Eddy Mitchell]] is also inspired by [[Americana (music)|Americana]] and country music.

In the [[Netherlands]] there are many artists producing popular country and Americana music, which is mostly in the English language, as well as Dutch country and country-like music in the Dutch language. The latter is mainly popular on the countrysides in the northern and eastern parts of the Netherlands and is less associated with its US brethren, although it sounds sometimes very similar. Well-known popular artists mainly performing in English are [[Waylon (singer)|Waylon]], [[Danny Vera (singer)|Danny Vera]], [[Ilse DeLange]], [[Douwe Bob]] and [[Henk Wijngaard]].

[[Norway]] had a significant country scene from the late 1970s<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forskning.no/hogskolen-i-innlandet-musikk-partner/country-musikken-har-gjort-ei-klassereise-i-noreg/2279937|language=nn|title=Country-musikken har gjort ei klassereise i Noreg|date=November 19, 2023|access-date=December 28, 2023|publisher=[[Forskning.no]]}}</ref> to the late 2000s, with bands and artists including [[Hellbillies]], [[Bjøro Håland]], [[Terje Tysland]], [[Vassendgutane]], [[Øystein Sunde]], and Rotlaus. The scene and its concerts were considered mostly a rural scene, such that most bands sang in dialects, but occasional songs made it to national fame even in the larger cities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrk.no/arkiv/artikkel/hellbillies-1.5950479|title=Hellbillies|language=nb|date=June 10, 2008|access-date=December 28, 2023|publisher=[[NRK]]}}</ref> The songs occasionally used inspirations from [[rock music]], [[Norwegian folk music]], and [[polka]], but remained recognisable as country music.