Susheela Raman (b. 1973) is a singer of Indian descent.

Raman was bo… Read Full Bio ↴Susheela Raman (b. 1973) is a singer of Indian descent.

Raman was born in London, later emigrating to Australia with her family. In Australia she studied classical South Indian song and began giving performances. She then began working with Western forms including rock and soul, while continuing to study classical Indian music with Shruti Sadolikar. Her desire to mix Indian with Western music resulted in her first album, Salt Rain, in 2001, followed by Love Trap in 2003.

In 2005, she released Music for Crocodiles. The basis of the album was recorded in Britain (Wiltshire in September 2004); the work was continued the next month with Indian musicians and mixed in Los Angeles.

In 2006 Susheela was again nominated for BBC World Music Award and was the subject of a one hour documentary by French-German TV Channel ARTE, called 'Indian Journey' directed by Mark Kidel. In the same year she independently recorded 33 1/3, which is a set of re-imaginings of music from the sixties and seventies. Artists covered include Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Velvet Underground, Captain Beefheart, Can, Joy Division and Throbbing Gristle. The album features long term collaborators Sam Mills on guitar, VIncent Segal on Cello, and tabla player and percussionist Aref Durvesh. The album was released in April 2007 in France.

In 2011 she released the album Vel.

Susheela continues to research and discover music from South India, studying in 2007 with the Bhakti singer Kovai Kamla.

Bolo Bolo
Susheela Raman Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Everybody chant together
The name of Shiva
The Ganges flows from his matted locks
Carrying the trident
He beat time on his drum
Rise to the sound of Shiva’s name

[Hindi]

Bolo Bolo Sab Mila Bolo On Nama Shiva
Om Nama Shiva Om Nama Shiva
Joota Jata Me Ganga Dharill
Thrisula Dari Damarubhajave

Dama Dama Dama Dama Damaru Bhaja
Gunj uta Om Nama Shiva

Overall Meaning

The song "Bolo Bolo" by Susheela Raman is a spiritual prayer to Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and transformation. The song begins with the singer urging everyone to chant together in unison the name of Lord Shiva, "Bolo Bolo Sab Mila Bolo Om Nama Shiva". The next line, "Joota Jata Me Ganga Dharill" refers to Lord Shiva's matted hair, which is believed to contain the holy river Ganges. It is said that when Ganges descended to Earth from heaven, Lord Shiva took her into his hair to break her fall and prevent the destruction that would have been caused by her landing directly on the Earth. Hence, the Ganga is said to flow from Lord Shiva's locks.

The trident or "Thrisula" is Lord Shiva's symbol and is mentioned in the next line, "Carrying the trident". The line "He beat time on his drum" refers to Lord Shiva's supernatural powers, as it is believed that he created the universe with the beat of his drum. The final line, "Rise to the sound of Shiva’s name" is a call to all devotees to rise up and be awakened by the chanting of Lord Shiva's name.

Overall, "Bolo Bolo" is a devotional song that is meant to evoke feelings of spirituality and connection to Lord Shiva. The use of repetition and communal chanting is a common practice in Hinduism, and the song's simplicity and repetition of Lord Shiva's name is meant to create a meditative and soothing atmosphere.

Line by Line Meaning

Everybody chant together
All people are requested to chant together

The name of Shiva
They are specifically requested to chant the name Shiva

The Ganges flows from his matted locks
The river Ganges is said to flow from the tangled hair locks of Shiva

Carrying the trident
The trident, a three-pronged weapon, is held by Shiva, who is also associated with it

He beat time on his drum
Shiva would beat and keep rhythm with his drum

Rise to the sound of Shiva’s name
The singer is asking people to rise to the sound of Shiva's name

Contributed by Brooklyn P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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