Susheela Raman - a fine world-music talent.

Susheela has been Nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and has been a winner at the World Music Awards.

She did a very special and intimate gig at Watermans, Brentford on Friday 17th May 2002. It was special because you do not get many opportunities to see such a great artist at such close proximity, compared to the huge venues she normally performs at these days.

I saw her perform live for the first time and have become a fan of her style already. She lends so much of her character to the performance that it is not just the music you see but Susheela becomes and integral part of it and I wonder if listening to her CD alone is the same as listening to it after having seen her perform live. This is not the case with most artists - seeing them live does not add so much more value to the audio experience from the album.

Susheela has a unique style. I have never seen or heard Indian devotional and classical music delivered in this style - with an acoustic, electric and a bass Guitar along with drums, chimes and a selection of other instruments. The evening started off with an 'Eastern Trance' track with lots of vocal chants. Started the evening with such promise that you were always looking forward to the next track - wondering if it could better the previous track - and always succeeding in doing so.

Seeing the performance of tracks from her very successful album - Salt Rain with a few new numbers was such a privilege granted to all those present. The team of two guitarists and a multi-talented drummer created such magic that the audience demanded MORE at the end of the performance to which the entertainers duly obliged. The crowd were delighted and burst into rapturous roar at the end of the performance - seemingly asking for more.

Susheela's training in Indian classical music from her mother shone through her performance. She was taught music at home by her mother from a very early age - as is mostly common among the South Indian families. She moved to Australia as a very young girl and only discovered western music styles at the age of 15 or 16. The creative talent began to explore the possibilities of combining the two very different styles and successfully created such a symbiotic fusion which has won her many accolades. Producer Sam Mills saw the potential and produced this first album of hers which has been a huge success world-over.

You can catch Susheela Raman perform at the Hyde Park on June 3rd 2002 and also at The Olympia in Paris, France very soon.