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My kind of music Susheela Raman.

Susheela Raman, the noted U.K.-based singer of Indian origin, is currently on a tour of India. In Delhi to perform at the Chivas Live festival Jazz Blues and Beyond, she sings this Friday, 8.30 p.m. onwards at the restro-bar Q’ba. With her will be Aref Duresh on the tabla and Sam Mills on the guitar.

Fresh from a performance in South India, Susheela, whose music is described as defying categories, says, “The response I got there was very interesting. Classical world music, as I call it, is relatively a new concept and it might have come as a shock to some people.” She continues, “People like me who have a taste of both cultures are perfectly suitable for creating fusion music, music having an ethereal quality to it.”

The singer, whose eclectic influences include the traditional music of South India, says, “Young people can easily relate to my work. It is basically a sort of diversion, new music taken and created from the old. I was highly inspired by African music and in my work one can see a reflection of it in the form of Blues.” The irony, she feels, is that people in India are still not open to the idea of pursuing music as a full time career. “In India we do not have the adequate support system. Parents still have a stereotypical notion about the careers that should be followed to live a well endowed life. But this is not the case in Europe. Parents there are more open to the idea and much more supportive.” In her case, it took a lot of courage to defy her parents and nearly 10 long years to convince them. Susheela’s next album, 33 and a 3rd, an interpretation of songs from the ’60s, is due to be released in India.

Susheela, who gets her inspiration from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Bjork, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon to mention a few, says, “These artists always tried to create something new and unique. I, myself have been trying to create music which is different. I am trying to give an explosive feeling to those innumerable things which I drew from India, from its roots, things which I learnt as a child.” She is currently working on creating a comprehensive web resource for music.

For concert details contact 26497944/45.

DEEKSHITA BARUAH

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