Sheila Chandra
Encyclopedia
Sheila Chandra is an English
pop singer of India
n descent.
from 1979 to 1981.
As a teenager she formed the band Monsoon
with Steve Coe (who became the band's producer), and Martin Smith
. Monsoon created a fusion of Western and Indian pop
styles. They recorded their lone album Third Eye
in 1982 from which they had a surprise hit single Ever So Lonely, which peaked at #12 in the UK. They followed-up with the single, "Shakti", which peaked at #41, but this was to be the band's final charting single. The album also includes a cover of The Beatles
' "Tomorrow Never Knows
", featuring the distinctive EBow guitar sound of Bill Nelson
.
Resenting pressure from their record company over musical direction, Monsoon dissolved in 1982 and Coe and Smith set about promoting Chandra as a solo artist on independent Indipop Records. Phonogram
"posthumously" released Third Eye
in 1983.
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 was no longer actively involved by this time.
's Real World label
. These were in the minimalist ‘solo voice and drone’ style which she developed especially for live performances, so that she could perform alone on stage with only the occasional taped drone for accompaniment. Martin Smith was no longer actively involved by this time. Drawing on similarities of structure between Indian ragas and English folk melodies, she started to incorporate many British and Irish traditional songs and techniques, as well as other vocal styles and techniques from around the world. Vocal stamina issues caused her to abandon live performances in 1994 and she only returned to the concert stage in 2007.
In 2000 she contributed 2 tracks, one a cover version of “Song to the Siren” and the other a remix or her solo track “Ever So Lonely/Eyes/Ocean” by Stephen Haig, to the ‘Gifted’ album on Real World Records.
Chandra is a respected performer on the world music scene and remains active into the 21st Century. In 2001 Chandra released a collaborative album with ‘The Ganges Orchestra’ entitled ‘This Sentence Is True’ based on her two experimental EPs with them (EEP 1, EEP2)
2002 saw the release of a remix of her original hit single “Ever So Lonely” retitled “So Lonely” by the band Jakatta. It charted at no 8 in the UK. In 2002 she performed the song entitled "Breath of Life" (retitled "The Grace of Valar" in 2006 release) with Howard Shore
for the The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers soundtrack.
In 2007, she recorded two songs for Simon Emmerson
's project The Imagined Village
, which set out to re-interpret traditional English songs using a wide range of contemporary English musicians. She also appeared with The Imagined Village on a concert tour of England in the late autumn of 2007. Her website lists seven concert dates in the UK and other parts of Europe in 2009.
Chandra has recently taken a new path as an author. Her first book Banish Clutter Forever-How The Toothbrush Principle Will Change Your Life (published by Ebury Publishing
/Random House
on 4 March 2010) contains her own system for being well organized, and is particularly aimed at those who work from home.
:
Solo:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
pop singer of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n descent.
Indian-Western pop fusion period
Sheila Chandra first came to public attention as an actress, playing Sudhamani Patel in the BBC school drama Grange HillGrange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
from 1979 to 1981.
As a teenager she formed the band Monsoon
Monsoon (band)
Monsoon was an early to mid 1980s UK progressive rock trio that consisted of singer Sheila Chandra, record producer Steve Coe, and bass guitarist Martin Smith...
with Steve Coe (who became the band's producer), and Martin Smith
Martin Smith
Martin Smith may refer to:*Martin Smith , British professor of robotics at the Open University*Martin Smith , British actor, singer and composer*Martin Smith , Irish boxer...
. Monsoon created a fusion of Western and Indian pop
Indian pop
Indian pop music , often known as Indian-Pop, Hindi Pop, Indipop or Indi-pop, refers to pop music in India. Pop music really started in the South Asian region with the famous playback singer Ahmed Rushdi's song ‘Ko-Ko-Korina’ in 1966...
styles. They recorded their lone album Third Eye
Third Eye (Monsoon album)
-Track listing:#"Wings of the Dawn " – 3:56#"Tomorrow Never Knows" – 4:01#"Third Eye and Tikka T.V." – 2:53#"Eyes" – 3:41#"Shakti " – 4:04...
in 1982 from which they had a surprise hit single Ever So Lonely, which peaked at #12 in the UK. They followed-up with the single, "Shakti", which peaked at #41, but this was to be the band's final charting single. The album also includes a cover of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "Tomorrow Never Knows
Tomorrow Never Knows
"Tomorrow Never Knows" is the final track of The Beatles' 1966 studio album Revolver but the first to be recorded. Credited as a Lennon–McCartney song, it was written primarily by John Lennon...
", featuring the distinctive EBow guitar sound of Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson (musician)
Bill Nelson is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, painter and experimental musician...
.
Resenting pressure from their record company over musical direction, Monsoon dissolved in 1982 and Coe and Smith set about promoting Chandra as a solo artist on independent Indipop Records. Phonogram
Phonogram
Phonogram may refer to:* Phonogram , a comic book by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie* Phonogram , a grapheme which represents a phoneme or a combination of phonemes...
"posthumously" released Third Eye
Third Eye (Monsoon album)
-Track listing:#"Wings of the Dawn " – 3:56#"Tomorrow Never Knows" – 4:01#"Third Eye and Tikka T.V." – 2:53#"Eyes" – 3:41#"Shakti " – 4:04...
in 1983.
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
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
's Real World label
Real World Records
Real World Records is a record label started in 1989 by Peter Gabriel to record and produce world music.-Overview:The label grew up alongside the success of the WOMAD festivals and Peter Gabriel's exploration of music from other cultures, and helped push world music into the general public's...
, although Martin Smith was no longer actively involved by this time.
Shift to solo voice and drone style
In the 1990s Chandra decided, having been a studio artist exclusively, to give concerts for the first time, and concurrently released a trilogy of albums on Peter GabrielPeter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
's Real World label
Real World Records
Real World Records is a record label started in 1989 by Peter Gabriel to record and produce world music.-Overview:The label grew up alongside the success of the WOMAD festivals and Peter Gabriel's exploration of music from other cultures, and helped push world music into the general public's...
. These were in the minimalist ‘solo voice and drone’ style which she developed especially for live performances, so that she could perform alone on stage with only the occasional taped drone for accompaniment. Martin Smith was no longer actively involved by this time. Drawing on similarities of structure between Indian ragas and English folk melodies, she started to incorporate many British and Irish traditional songs and techniques, as well as other vocal styles and techniques from around the world. Vocal stamina issues caused her to abandon live performances in 1994 and she only returned to the concert stage in 2007.
Other projects
In 1990 Chandra interrupted her sabbatical to record a single (“Raining”) with the folk/synth band ‘Ancient Beatbox’ which also appeared on their self-titled albumIn 2000 she contributed 2 tracks, one a cover version of “Song to the Siren” and the other a remix or her solo track “Ever So Lonely/Eyes/Ocean” by Stephen Haig, to the ‘Gifted’ album on Real World Records.
Chandra is a respected performer on the world music scene and remains active into the 21st Century. In 2001 Chandra released a collaborative album with ‘The Ganges Orchestra’ entitled ‘This Sentence Is True’ based on her two experimental EPs with them (EEP 1, EEP2)
2002 saw the release of a remix of her original hit single “Ever So Lonely” retitled “So Lonely” by the band Jakatta. It charted at no 8 in the UK. In 2002 she performed the song entitled "Breath of Life" (retitled "The Grace of Valar" in 2006 release) with Howard Shore
Howard Shore
Howard Leslie Shore is a Canadian composer, notable for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, for which he won three Academy Awards. He is also a consistent collaborator with director David Cronenberg,...
for the The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers soundtrack.
In 2007, she recorded two songs for Simon Emmerson
Simon Emmerson
For the experimental music artist, see Simon Emmerson .Simon Emmerson is a Grammy Award-nominated record producer, guitarist, DJ and founder of the group Afro Celt Sound System....
's project The Imagined Village
The Imagined Village
The Imagined Village is a folk musical project founded by Simon Emmerson of the Afro Celt Sound System. It is intended to produce modern folk music that represents modern multiculturalism in the United Kingdom and as such, features musicians from a wide variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds...
, which set out to re-interpret traditional English songs using a wide range of contemporary English musicians. She also appeared with The Imagined Village on a concert tour of England in the late autumn of 2007. Her website lists seven concert dates in the UK and other parts of Europe in 2009.
Chandra has recently taken a new path as an author. Her first book Banish Clutter Forever-How The Toothbrush Principle Will Change Your Life (published by Ebury Publishing
Ebury Publishing
Ebury Publishing is a division of the Random House Group Ltd, and is a well-known publisher of general non-fiction books in the UK.Under its umbrella are the imprints BBC Books, Ebury Press, Rider, Time Out and Vermilion—each with their own, distinct identity and specialist areas of...
/Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
on 4 March 2010) contains her own system for being well organized, and is particularly aimed at those who work from home.
Discography
Albums
With MonsoonMonsoon (band)
Monsoon was an early to mid 1980s UK progressive rock trio that consisted of singer Sheila Chandra, record producer Steve Coe, and bass guitarist Martin Smith...
:
- Third EyeThird Eye (Monsoon album)-Track listing:#"Wings of the Dawn " – 3:56#"Tomorrow Never Knows" – 4:01#"Third Eye and Tikka T.V." – 2:53#"Eyes" – 3:41#"Shakti " – 4:04...
(1982)
Solo:
- Out on My Own (1984)
- Quiet (1984)
- Nada Brahma (1985)
- The Struggle (1985)
- Roots and Wings (1990)
- Weaving My Ancestors' Voices (1992)
- Silk (1993)
- The Zen Kiss (1994)
- ABoneCroneDrone (1996)
- Moonsung: A Real World Retrospective (1999)
- This Sentence Is True (The Previous Sentence Is False) (2001)
- The Indipop Retrospective (2003)
Singles
- Ever So Lonely (1982)
- "Shakti (The Meaning of Within)" (1982)
- "Tomorrow Never Knows" (1982)
- "Wings of the Dawn (Prem Kavita)" (1982)
- "Ever So Lonely" (Remix by Ben Chapman) (1990)
- "So Lonely" ("Ever So Lonely" remixes by Jakatta) (2002)
Other
- "Raining (My Eyes Are Filled With Clouds)" with Ancient Beatbox (1990)
- "Breath of Life" in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
- "Welcome Sailor" and "'Ouses, 'Ouses, 'Ouses" from Imagined Village (2007)
Books
- Banish Clutter Forever – How the Toothbrush Principle Will Change Your Life (2010) ISBN 978-0091935023
Interviews
- Mathur, Rakesh (1991). Nada Brahma; DEVI in Hinduism Today, August 1991.
- Schaefer, John (1993). Sheila Chandra's Interview with John Schaefer at WNYC 1993: Weaving My Ancestors' Voices.
- Schaefer, John (1996). Sheila Chandra's Interview with John Schaefer at WNYC 1996: ABoneCroneDrone.
- Prasad, Anil (2000). Sheila Chandra: Natural extensions in Innerviews, 3 May 2000.
- Joe F. Compton (2000). "The Commonality is Brilliance...".
- Mite (2000). Sheila Chandra Interview in Mutant Renegade Zine #13, Winter 2000.
- Teropong (2008). Sheila Chandra in Womad Singapore, 23 August 2008.
- Millard, RosieRosie MillardRosie Millard is a British journalist.Millard has written for national newspapers and magazines, including The Sunday Times, The Times, The Independent, The Daily Mail, and New Statesman. She writes the Mr and Mrs Millard marital column in the Body and Soul section of the Saturday Times. She was...
(2010). Another Fine Mess You’ve Got Me Out Of at Times Online
External links
- Official website of book "Banish Clutter Forever - How The Toothbrush Principle Will Change Your Life" by Sheila Chandra
- Sheila Chandra at Imagined Village
- Sheila Chandra at Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music