Susheela Raman's World Fusion Winner
Written: Jul 05 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Blurs East-West styles with ease.
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: See Review.
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| JennJoy's Full Review: Love Trap - Susheela Raman Movies |
This review is part of the Three-Legged Writeoff, where members pair up to offer up as many reviews as they can handle on the 5th and 6th of July. Check out my partner in crime (er, music), teamfreak16's contributions or find the complete list of participants here: http://home.earthlink.net/~epskids.
I fell in love with Susheela Raman's first album, Salt Rain thanks to Cletta1201 and have been eagerly anticipating her sophomore album. Raman's music is nearly the epitome of world fusion – she combines traditional Indian arrangements with African and Middle Eastern styles and peppers them with elements of jazz, blues, funk, and rock. While many "world music" artists end up artificial in their efforts to reach a global community or come off as confused about how to mesh cultures, I believe Susheela's success at blurring genre lines is simply a natural extension of her heritage and upbringing. Raman was born in England to South Indian parents and raised largely in Australia – and she has done everything from sing in a blues band to receive training in classical Indian vocal styles. As a result, Indian music and the blues are the two mainstays of her songs.
Love Trap is quite similar to Salt Rain - both albums feature a number of originals plus a few cover songs, a long list of guest musicians, contributor Sam Mills, and a variety of musical styles. On the other hand, Love Trap is a bit less sensual than Susheela's debut and her vocals have improved more than I ever thought they could. I guess a few more years of performing and song writing have matured and changed Susheela's voice for the better.
Be forewarned that there are only two tracks sung in English on this album, though that doesn't bother me in the least. Even though I'm usually big on not just vocals but lyrics, this album is a lot more about mood and atmosphere to me. The first English track is the Salt Rain's opener and title track. On this track, Susheela covers a 1970's Ethiopian song written by Mahmoud Ahmed which she adds her own sexy lyrics, earthy percussion, and basics of jazz and trip-hop. The other English song is oddly enough another cover, this time of Joan Armatrading's "Save Me." Here, the song itself is the focus with the music a mere backdrop for the vocals and lyrics. I really like this folkier side and Susheela's voice is perfectly suited to this style as well.
Love Trap's remaining nine tracks are sung in Telugu, Marathi, and a few other languages. You really do not need to be familiar with any of these, because Susheela's voice is extremely expressive and you'll find yourself captivated regardless. "Bliss" starts out with a sparse piano intro and then molds itself into a sizzling jazz number before kicking into overdrive with a frenzy of beats that are sure to get anyone moving. "Amba" contrasts Susheela's slinky blues-style vocals with ethereal Tuvan throat singing against a sultry tapestry of sound. "Blue Lily Red Lotus" and "Half Shiva Half Shakti" are both upbeat numbers that border on Indian pop with their infectious rhythms.
While Love Trap strikes me as a bit mellower then Salt Rain, there isn't a weak track to be found here. Susheela and the host of musicians working with her have an uncanny ability to blur genre lines with seamless ease. This is where her true appeal lies for me – it all sounds completely natural, as though it all just goes together. This is an album I highly recommend to anyone, not just world music fans because it's completely accessible despite language differences. Take a chance and you may just discover an entire new world of music you didn't know existed.
Track Listing:
1. Love Trap
2. Sarasa
3. Amba
4. Save Me
5. Manusoloni
6. Bliss
7. Sakhi Maro
8. Half Shiva Half Shakti
9. Dhamavati
10. Ye Meera Divanapan Hai
11. Blue Lily Red Lotus
Recommended:
Yes
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JennJoy
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Music. Nuff said.
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