For Avinash Gupta, every performance is more than just a concert. It is an opportunity to take people back to a time when music lived on cassettes, CDs, and handwritten playlists. The singer was recently in Hyderabad with his Cassettes & CDs Nostalgia tour, a musical journey celebrating the songs and stories of the 90s. In a conversation with CE, he spoke about his connection with the city, the memories behind his show, and why the music of that decade continues to resonate with listeners of every age.
Returning to Hyderabad always brings a sense of familiarity, especially because the city has become one of his favourite places to perform. Avinash shares, “It’s my second time here, and I love coming to Hyderabad because it’s a city of food, and I have friends here too. This time is different because I’m bringing my India tour to the city for the first time which makes it more special.”
For Avinash, the emotional connection goes far beyond the music itself. Reflecting on the memories people carry from that era, he adds, “What people miss the most is not just the songs but the laid-back lifestyle we had back then because there was no social media and barely any smartphones. We made our own playlists on cassettes and had time to grow up at our own pace. That is what people connect with today because life is so fast-paced, while the songs bring back memories and take everyone back to those times.”
His own journey with music began much earlier than his professional career. Looking back at those early years, he recalls, “I have always been into music. My mother sent me to learn Hindustani classical as a child, but I chose music as a career only after failing at a lot of other things because I realised it gave me happiness and contentment.”
Years of performing have also changed the way he defines success. Opening up about what success means to him, Avinash reflects, “It has definitely changed over time. I never expected to receive this much love from people, and I am honestly grateful. But we are humans, and when we get this much, we naturally want more. I want to spread this love to many more people, which is why we are exploring smaller, untouched cities.”
The songs he performs also serve as markers of different chapters in his own life. Sharing why music feels timeless, he says, “For me, all the songs I grew up listening to are like a time machine because I can pinpoint them and go back to when I first heard them, whether I was going through a breakup or falling in love. Every song takes me back to the past with a lot of emotions.”
Hinting at what lies ahead, the singer concludes, “A lot of things are happening, which I can’t really reveal. But this show is going to go a long way.”
Perhaps that is the real success of Avinash's show. It does not ask audiences to simply listen to old songs. Instead, it invites them to relive old moments, laugh at forgotten memories, and, for a couple of hours, travel back to a time when life moved just a little slower.