Sam Boodram
Samdeo "Sam" Boodram was a Trinidadian Chutney, Bhajan, Indian classical and folk singer, Kabir Panthi mahant, and cocoa farmer. He recorded over 6,000 songs over the span of his career.
Early life
Sam Boodram was born into a Hindu Indian family to Boodram Balroop and Babonie Boodram in El Dorado, Trinidad and Tobago, on 14 July 1933. His family later moved from El Dorado to Aranguez in San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago. He attended the Bal Maharaj Hindu School where he learned Hindustani and was introduced to Indian singing as part of a program sponsored by Chanka Maharaj, a prominent politician and landowner. When Boodram was ten years old his family moved to Cumuto. Also, at the age of ten, he won a singing competition at his school singing the song "Puchhe Bhaiya Bharat Ram Kaha Mai". After winning that competition, Boodram said his interest in singing and music began. He later met the Indian classical singer, Ramcharitar, who became his guru. He also learned from singers such as Pt. Ramkissoon Maharaj, Benny Sewnath, Bel Bagai, and Hardeo.Career
Sam Boodram was a cocoa farmer in Cumuto. He used to have seventeen people working on his estate, picking cocoa as well as coffee cherries, bananas, and peewah. Boodram credits being an independent farmer gave him the flexibility to develop his singing career on his own time and terms.Boodram started professionally singing Indian classical music in 1947 at the age of fourteen. He later ventured out into singing chutney music and was one of the founding fathers of the genre. Here is where he gained immense popularity. He belted out hits such as "Lalana Khoose", "Dhoolar", and "Sham Chabi". His chutney songs were derived from old Bhojpuri folk songs that were sung at Hindu weddings and celebrations of births, as well as from songs he wrote. His chutney songs were known for their raw dialect and fast-paced beats. He also sang bhajans and birahas. He was given the nickname D' Lion of Cumuto by radio announcer Surujpat Mathura. He toured throughout Trinidad and Tobago, as well as internationally in Guyana, Suriname, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. In 2013, he was honored at the Chutney Soca Monarch as one of the "Legends of Chutney". In his later life, he collaborated with younger chutney and chutney soca artist like Ravi Bissambhar and Raymond Ramnarine.