Sheila Chandra is one of the most distinctive and influential British-Asian voices to emerge from the British music scene of the 1980s. In this in-depth interview with host, Des Burkinshaw, Sheila reflects on her remarkable life and career — from her teenage years and the formation of Monsoon, through her pioneering solo work for Indipop Records, her extraordinary albums for Peter Gabriel’s Real World label, and ultimately the medical condition that brought her singing career to an end.
At just 17, Sheila Chandra became the lead singer of Monsoon and found herself at the centre of an extraordinary musical experiment. In 1982, Monsoon’s “Ever So Lonely” combined Indian musical influences, raga-based ideas, tabla and contemporary pop production to create something that was unlike almost anything else being heard in the British mainstream at the time. The single became a major UK hit and Sheila appeared on Top of the Pops, making a particularly powerful impression on young British Asians who had rarely seen themselves represented in that way on mainstream television.
Here is that Top of the Pops clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP6B8l1fWu8&list=RDlP6B8l1fWu8&start_radio=1
Monsoon’s success, however, was relatively short-lived. The group’s debut album, Third Eye, remains an important landmark in the history of East-West musical fusion, but Sheila soon became frustrated with the pressures and expectations of the record business. Rather than simply pursue another conventional pop career, she returned to the independent Indipop label, where she was able to develop her own musical ideas and explore the possibilities of her voice.
The result was a fascinating sequence of albums including Out on My Own, Quiet, The Struggle, Nada Brahma and Roots and Wings. These records document Sheila's evolution from pop singer to an increasingly adventurous and independent artist. She explored Indian and Western musical traditions, drones, rhythm, vocal textures and, increasingly, the human voice as an instrument in its own right.
In this interview, Sheila talks about this period of her career and the freedom that working with Indipop gave her. Her approach was unusual for the time: rather than fitting herself into an established musical category, she was gradually creating her own musical language.
That journey eventually brought her to Peter Gabriel’s Real World label.
Sheila’s Real World recordings became some of the most acclaimed and adventurous music of her career. Her trilogy of albums — Weaving My Ancestors’ Voices (1992), The Zen Kiss (1994) and ABoneCroneDrone (1996).Rather than treating the voice simply as a vehicle for lyrics and melody, Sheila explored drones, overtones, vocal ornamentation and the extraordinary range of sounds that a single human voice can produce.
In 2009, Sheila developed Burning Mouth Syndrome, a chronic condition that caused severe discomfort and made speaking and singing increasingly difficult. By around 2010–2011, singing had become impossible, effectively forcing her to retire from the profession that had defined so much of her life.
What's likely to be her final album, Echo, is released by Real World on September 25. It's a stunning collection reworked from old live tapes.
This episode is part of the first season of @ClassicSongChats in which Des Burkinshaw interviews his favourite artists, about his favourite records of all time. Season 1 artists already recorded include The Thompson Twins, Buggles, PP Arnold, Jona Lewie, Manfred Mann, 10cc, Nancy Sinatra, The Beach Boys, Men Without Hats, Talking Heads, and many more. All season 1 episodes are being released before Christmas 2026.
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