Musick that Needed Woek - S: Sheila Chandra

 

Sheila Chandra was born in South London to a South Indian immigrant family, She discovered her musical voice at the age of twelve while attending Theatre Arts school. From that moment on, her chosen path was to be a singer. The only thing was that she had no knowledge as to how she could proceed in the music world.

By chance, Steve Coe, a writer & record producer, was forming a band, Monsoon, as an outlet for his increasingly Indian influenced material. He came across Chandra's voice on an old audition tape, lying in a box at Hansa Records. He knew at once that he had found his singer:

The band's first single "Ever so Lonely" took a raga song & utilising the new production techniques available, came up with an irresistible but radical modern pop fusion sound. It was a top ten hit that sold over a quarter million in sales worldwide. After several more singles that went nowhere, Chandra walked away from it all, frustrated by the increasing lack of communication between the label Phonogram & Monsoon over artistic direction. 

 

Sheila went back to Steve Coe's studio, Indipop & began working on her solo debut. Her first album for the label chronicles a profound transformation in the quality & depth of her work, both as a singer but also increasingly as a writer, in her now chosen field of Asian fusion. Her new found ability to cross continents in a single vocal line, to weave seamlessly the vocal styles of the Arab world, Andalucia, Ireland, Scotland, & India made for a true fusion within one mind / one voice.

Weaving My Ancestor's Voices established Chandra as a spiritual heir to a ‘whole world’ vocal tradition. Coe's sensitive, painstaking production enhanced this further, acting as an integral part of the recording, particularly on the virtuoso vocal percussion pieces "Speaking in Tongues I & II". The album was released on Peter Gabriel's Real World label & spent several weeks in the Billboard World Music Top 10.

Sadly, in 2009 Sheila was diagnosed with Burning Mouth Syndrome [BMS].  Chandra had to give up music in 2011 due to voice problems. Luckily we have the recorded history of her journey perserved for posterity.

 

Sheila Chandra - Weaving My Ancestor's Voices, Real World Records CAROL2322-2, 1992.
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Speaking in Tongues I 
Dhyana & Donalogue    
Nana / The Dreaming    
Ever So Lonely / Eyes / Ocean
The Enchantment    
The Call    
Bhajan
Speaking in Tongues II    
Sacred Stones    
Om Namaha Shiva

 

 

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