Marsh to mentor country singers

Country music legend Dennis Marsh. Photo / File

A Te Arawa's top-selling muscian will be offering advice to aspiring country music artists.

My Country Song is returning for a second series on Maori Television which will feature Dennis Marsh (also Ngati Maniopoto) in a mentor role.

Presenter Saelyn Guyton (Ngai Tahu) delivers in te reo Maori, interviewing performers in a celebration of the singer and the song.

Marsh will be behind the scenes to offer advice to aspiring artists while learning a trick or two himself.

The series is filmed around the North Island, with some 77 performances and songs captured by the team, who are also responsible for other high-rating shows on Maori Television, including It's in the Bag.

The level of musicianship is very high with the addition of multi instrumentalist, Rotorua's Richard Anaru. The series will include performers as young as 9 through to 80, playing everything from the banjo to the spoons. All variations within the country music genre are covered, including folk, pop, blue grass, RnB, gospel, traditional and rock.

Sixty per cent of the performances are original songs and the rest are well-known covers, including a country version of the Herbs song Long Ago by a singer who flatted with Herbs when the song was first written.

For some of the performers it's their first time on a stage, while others are seasoned pros, including multi award winners Donna Dean, Cameron Clayton and Katie Thompson.

The big stars of the series include country music legend Eddie Low from Kawerau, who also sings a duet with Marsh along with the husband and wife duo Coopers Run.