Sheila Chandra

Hindi Irish Folk Devotionals


There are Irish Folk Song structures in her songs, interesting to note.

As a teenager she formed the band Monsoon, and created a fusion of Western Synthpop and Indian pop styles. She married Steve Coe, who became the band's producer, and along with Martin Smith, the band evolved into this talented trio. They made a lone album Third Eye in 1982 from which they had a surprise hit single "Ever So Lonely". Monsoon recorded a varied selection of songs. Chandra and Monsoon covered The Beatles' Tomorrow Never Knows in this period.)

However, resenting pressure from their record company over musical direction, Monsoon as a band dissolved and Coe and Smith set about promoting Chandra as a solo artist on an independent label. Chandra went on to release a number of albums in the 1980s, at times experimenting with her voice as an instrument through a range of techniques. In the 1990s she released three albums on Peter Gabriel's Real World label, although Martin Smith ceased to be actively involved.



Since 1992 she has shifted from the Indian-Western fusion of synthesizer-centered pop to styles that draw on British and Irish traditional singing traditions. Chandra is a much-respected performer on the world music scene and remains active into the 21st Century.

Discography

Albums

With Monsoon:
Third Eye (1982)
Solo
Out on My Own (1984)
Quiet (1984)
Nada Brahma (1985)
The Struggle (1985)
Roots and Wings (1990)
Weaving My Ancestors' Voices (1992)
The Zen Kiss (1994)
ABoneCroneDrone (1996)
Moonsung: A Real World Retrospective (1999)
This Sentence Is True (The Previous Sentence Is False) (2001)
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers soundtrack (2002)
The Indipop Retrospective (2003)
[edit]Singles
"Ever So Lonely" (1982)
"Shakti (The Meaning of Within)" (1982)
"Tomorrow Never Knows" (1982)
"Wings of the Dawn" (1983)
"Ever So Lonely" (Remix by Ben Chapman) (1990)
"Breath of Life" in The Two Towers (2003)