Post Malone's performance in Guwahati to put city on world entertainment map: Himanta

Guwahati, Dec 8 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the performance of the American rapper and singer Post Malone at Guwahati on Monday is a "historic occasion'' which will put the city firmly on the world entertainment map.

The CM hoped that such concerts would be held in Silchar and Jorhat, and boost the economy of those areas.

''For the first time ever, global music icon and Grammy-nominated artist, Post Malone's performance in Guwahati is a historic occasion, and it places the city firmly on the world entertainment map,'' the chief minister said on the sidelines of a programme here.

He said that this was a rare occasion for the state, and this was the first event of Assam's new concert tourism policy.

''It is for the first time a globally top-ranked artist is performing live in our city. I warmly welcome him to the land of Maa Kamakhya and extend my best wishes for a memorable show," Sarma said.

He said that they had an opportunity to bring internationally renowned singer Shakira to the city, but it did not happen.

"I am interested in bringing her to Guwahati and hopefully it will happen in a year or two,'' the CM said.

He extended his best wishes on this occasion and expressed hope that everyone loves Assam's hospitality.

Earlier in the day, the chief minister had posted on X: ''Post Malone performing in Guwahati is more than a concert. It’s a milestone in Assam’s rise as a true cultural hub.'' ''There was a time when fans flocked to Shillong for rock shows. Today, Guwahati takes centre stage, marking a new beginning for our cultural journey,'' Sarma added.

According to the state tourism department officials earlier in the day, more than 20,000 tickets for the concert have already been sold.

Kamrup (Metro) district administration, Guwahati City Police, municipal corporation, and other departments are working jointly to ensure the smooth conduct of the show.

Guwahati Traffic Police have regulated the movement of vehicular traffic today to ensure minimum hassles for the audience as well as other people.

The Assam government had approved a new policy in May this year for promoting ‘concert tourism’ with Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Jorhat as hub and also joined hands with Bigtree Entertainment, which operates online ticketing platform BookMyShow, to organise various national and international musical concerts in the state.

Austin Richard Post, known professionally as Post Malone, is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, musician, record producer, and actor. His music blends various genres including pop, hip-hop, rap, R&B (Rhythm and Blues), and country.

He has won eleven Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards, six MTV Video Music Awards, and received eighteen Grammy Award nominations. PTI DG NN