Monsoon formed in 1981 in London. The Asian rock band was centered around vocalist Sheila Chandra, who was fresh out of her role as a sulky British-Asian teenager in the BBC television show "Grange Hill." With pianist Steve Coe and guitarist Martin Smith, Chandra crafted a sound that owed equal debts to Beatles psychedelia (they even cover "Tomorrow Never Knows"), Ravi Shankar and new wave. Though success looked elusive, the band had a surprise hit with "Ever So Lonely" -- widely considered the first world music hit. Sheila eventually went on to a solo career that has delved more deeply into the nexus of Indian music and new age.
