Susheela Raman - Mamavatu!

The Track "Mamavatu" is taken from Susheela Raman's fantastic debut Album "Salt Rain" (2001). Listen and enjoy it.

Lyrics (English):
"Saraswati
You who reside in the temple of Kamakoti
Rescue me
Bearing lotus and veena
In your beautiful hands
You give truth to speech
Your feet are worshipped by Emperors and Kings
Your eyes are as wild as Rajva flowers
Any your beauty bewitches

Garlanded with gems
You fullfil the desires of the good
Indra himself bows down before you
I, Vasudeva, am your servant
For you are the divine word in its essence

Lyrics (Sanksrit):
"Mamavatu Sri Sarasvati
Kamakoti peta Vasini Komalakara Saroja Drita Veena
Seemadita Vara Vak Vibhushan
Rajadiraja Poojita Charane
Rajiva Nayane Ramanya Vadane
Sujana Manorata poorana Chature Nijagala Sobita Manimaya Hare
Ajabhava Vandita Vasudeva
Charanapita Sakala Veda Sara."

Susheela Raman's first solo album "Salt rain" was an outstanding debut that won the BBC Best Newcomer Award 2002. She was also shortlisted for the UK Mercury Prize, - Britain's foremost reward to new artists with distinct creative ability -, thus becoming the first world music artist to figure for this prestigious award. "Salt Rain" is by far one of the best fusion albums you can get. The tracks are sung in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Sanskrit

As an artist, Susheela Raman continues to develop and explore issues of identity with new sounds that celebrate multiplicity. She draws her collaborators from across Europe, Asia, and Africa: Cameroonian bassist Hilaire Penda, Guinea-Bissau born percussionist Djanuno Dabo, American drummer Marque Gilmore, British-Asian tabla player Aref Durvesh, and of course British guitarist and producer Sam Mills are at the heart of this album as they were on "Salt Rain".

Susheela: "We were lucky to collaborate with some unique musicians who live mostly in London and Paris but are of diverse origins: Guinea Bissau, Cameroun, India, Romania, France, Greece, Egypt, Kenya, America, and Spain. Any record is a meeting of many minds and, now more than ever, it is networks of people, not just individuals, that spark new and exciting work. Everyone brought their own special energy to the music and I am very proud of what we all worked together to create."

Musicians:
Susheela Raman (Voice, Tanpura)
Sam Mills (Guitar, Producer)
Hilaire Penda (Bass, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Bass Solo on Nagumomo)
Djanuno Dabo (Bongos, Congas, Surdo, Claypot, Shakers, Backing Vocals)
Aref Durvesh (Tabla, Dholak)
Vincent Segal (Cello and Cello arrangements)
Hossam Ramzy (Egyptian Percussion on Trust In Me)
Sandhya Sanjana (Backing Vocals)
Marque Gilmore (Drums)
Michel Fernandez (Cajon on Salt Rain)
Manos Achalinotopoulos (Clarinet on Maya)
Julia Thornton (Harp on Trust In Me)
Don Dieu Le Divin (Fender Rhodes on Nagumomo)

Produced by Sam Mills. Narada Production (2003)