It is not often you meet a singer or musician and end up talking about deep spiritual matters rather than their new single. Sheena Ladwa though is not your standard young singer. Very soon into our meeting in central London, it is obvious to Music News, that she is both intelligent and determined. More than that though, there is a calm reassurance, a sense of control in her own destiny and wisdom beyond her years. While the tourists and commuters outside are struggling with one of those hot and sticky London days, Sheena is cool personified. Nothing you feel would ruffle her feathers.
Except that's not true. "I was very close to completing a huge deal a few years ago. A backer, with no music industry experience, wanted to support me. But it didn't feel right. My gut told me not to go with it." She says that gut feeling was right and although it has taken longer for her to be ready to release her debut album than she might have liked, she feels the path taken has been meant to be.
Sheena is the daughter of Praful Ladwa, a member of one of the UK’s most well known and respected bands, The Bollywood Pandits, and she is therefore no stranger to the showbiz world. But while the Bollywood-style scene could have been an easy route to success for her, the singer made a judgement that she wanted to be true to herself.
"The Asian music scene in the UK is a little predictable. Old fashioned and out of date really. There are very few new ideas and most of the time the music ends up sounding the same. Bollywood is more adventurous of course, but the UK scene is a long way from that. But if I have success doing what I want to do, the Indian music fans here will support me anyway I think."
As she releases her debut single, Moving On, Sheena tells me that there have been other 'missed' opportunities in recent years, such as the chance to work in LA. That broke down in unexpected circumstances and the singer admits she didn't take it well. Those calm feathers were ruffled. But she has a fascinating philosophy on life and says that when she'd reached this low, an opportunity arose that told her it had all been fate.
"I was asked to be an ambassador of the super music academy, Ultimate Artists 2015, and this has given me amazing satisfaction. I want to be able to use my experience to help young artists. Mentoring these kids gives you a great sense of achievement. I had one kid from Malta, that was nervous about speaking because he had a stutter and when we turned it around and he spoke in front of all these people, it was incredibly emotional. Of course it was his achievement not mine, but I was proud."
Sheena vows to continue this work even if her career takes off. But one important lesson she has for those kids is about enjoying the moment. She says that too much attention is given to the goals of the music industry - having success, hits, making money. She says that you should enjoy the journey and not always desire that end goal. She has concerns that many youngsters just want the fame and fortune and she says that it's such a shallow ambition; "If you go and have an audition for X Factor and you don't qualify for the next stage then you shouldn't think of that as failure. Learn from it and move on. Grow stronger."
She is also critical of modern singing styles, warning against over stretching your vocal chords and damaging your voice. As Sam Smith has learnt, it can be costly to not look after your voice; "I worked with this amazing man, who said about looking after your voice and changed my singing style. It was hard at first to get used to, so I took myself off the live circuit for some time to get it right. When I returned to the stage, these fans were asking what I had done because my voice was completely different. Now it seems easier - less forced. That means less harm to your vocal chords. Too many singers are doing that, Sam Smith, Bruno Mars for example. They need to be careful."
Before you know it, two hours has passed inside this exclusive London club and outside the evening rush is beginning to gather pace. Inside Sheena's been engaging, funny and insightful. Music News feels we will be hearing and seeing a lot more of her over the next few months. One thing is for sure, whatever happens next with Sheena Ladwa, enjoying the journey will be important.
