Search - Susheela Raman :: Love Trap

Her sensual world

giovanni | Greece | 01/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If world music is all about bringing people from different nations close and making them understand the beautiful side of each others music culture then it's no coincidence that Susheela Raman is one of it's stand out artists right now . The Anglo-Indian gifted lady mixes creatively various elements of the Indian , Tamil and wider western and eastern music tradition and manages to deliver an exotic , dazzling offering . First cd single " Love Trap " with it's poisonous charms can seduce a priest while " Sarasa " is as tender and sensual as a melody could ever be . What's most suprising though about Raman is that despite her young age she delivers such rich perfomances on songs like the slow and hypnotic " Amba " . Clearly she's here to stay and has all the wit and talent in order to do so ."

Sophomore Slump : A Bright Light Diminished

Cabir Davis | 10/27/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Susheela Raman has a problem on her hands. If 'Love Trap' had been her first album, there would be no doubt that world music listeners would heap deserved praise upon her. Unfortunately, it comes after her debut album 'Salt Rain' - an album that defied criticism by being so blinding in its' perfection - that anything that came after would certainly not hold up very well against the first record.



Thats exactly the dilemma she is faced with on this record. Its certainly very lush and experimental, but coming as it does after 'Salt Rain', its clearly subpar on most levels. This was one record I was waiting for with baited breath. Having discovered Susheela's music in 2000, I have spent much time tracking down home recordings of her UK Concerts and even investing in creating an online community dedicated to her music and vision, which is why the sophomore slump I have witnessed with 'Love Trap' is a very bitter pill indeed.



The title track, "Love Trap" is based on a 1970s Ethiopian folk song by local legend Mahmoud Ahmed, but Susheela adds some 1960s British jazz to it and it sounds unlike anything I've heard from her thus far. Its definitely not a classic by any means, but if the intention was just to experiment with new sounds, then they've done a pretty reasonable job. The next two songs are my favorites - 'Amba' and 'Sarasa', both sung in Telugu, and though Susheela's diction would make any native Telugu speaker burst into mortified laughter (indeed, the ones I played 'Nagumomo' to were speechless for all the wrong reasons), it does lend the music a quaint something.



However, Susheela's trysts with the English language do not always meet with the same success. Her rendition of Joan Armatrading's "Save Me" - already a weak melody - does in no manner flatter her. I find it a shame that Susheela chooses her English language covers so carelessly. Her first album had "Trust in Me" from 'The Jungle Book' and I cringed through it a few times before I got used to it. On "Save Me", the entire track is too boring in both essence and delivery to even merit a place on this album. A very puzzling choice indeed.



To her credit, Susheela is most evidently the master of her territory when shes singing in South Indian languages. She is not a native Hindi speaker, and her father John Raman is a Tamilian, which explains why her Tamil and Telugu tracks feel more relaxed and subdued - less made-up. The stunning final track 'Blue Lily Red Lotus' is a hymn to Shiva sung in Tamil, and its' buildup is definitely worth the wait. The song is a smooth lullaby of sorts, and just when you think shes done, native Dravidian drums take over in a frenzy of incomparable rhythms - never have I witnessed such harmony of instruments since a bright spot on the Afro Celts' second album - bringing the album to a glorious close.



On the way, there are some tracks that are worthy of mention. The sleek feel of "Bliss", again an Ode to God, that is at once soothing and empowering. Her "Half Shiva Half Shakti" is a spellbinding ballad with some great instrumentation. The Andra track 'Sakhi Maro' is another song that stands out. But these highlights pale when the deficiencies in 'Love Trap' emerge. The worst of the lot has got to be her over-the-top rendition of "Yeh Mera Diwanapan Hai" (literally 'This is my craziness'), a 60s track made popular by Indian singer Mukesh in the film 'Yahudi'.



This is not a bad album. But it is certainly a very mediocre second album.



The Pros : Great lyrics. There is a feel of unrequited love and divine longing that runs through the record. Most of the devotional hymns that were chosen (they have also all been translated in English in the liner notes, but the original language lyrics are not included in the package) speak of union with God and a yearning to be One with the Creator. In terms of sticking to a cohesive theme, the record excels. Also, Susheela's voice, though it has lost some of the clarity since the last album, is still a fine instrument, and she uses it well. Vincent Segal and Sam Mills' instrumentation is brilliant and also 'overwhelming', but I've spoken about that earlier.



The Cons : Bad Production on certain tracks. The album feels rushed and energy-less on occassion. Susheela's choice of covers and tunes need to be reworked before she works on her next record because clearly she and her producer have reached saturation point on the aspect of which direction shes needs to be headed. I found the absence of the original lyrics a real disappointment, considering that 9 of the 11 tracks are in a language other than English.



"Love Trap" feels like a rushed record, but the liner notes indicate that it probably wasn't. The magic that was so to the fore on 'Salt Rain' is missing here, but it still shows up in places. I suppose if you approach this album without expecting much, you would come away with much to talk about. However, if you're a long time Susheela Raman fan, you probably know by now that this is decidedly not one of her brightest moments."

Nothing Else Like It

Dan Buchanan | Texas | 10/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is really a fabulous album, and has become a real unexpected favorite in my collection. While the title track is catchy and quirky, the real meat of the album lies within. I especially love "Bliss" and "Dhamavati." This music is fusion in the best sense - a blend of worldwide musical influence and truly contemporary approach to border-crossing art. I HIGHLY recommend this album to the aesthetically curious."