Sheila E. Talks About Making Her First Salsa Album, Outdressing Prince & Encouraging Today’s Young Musicians

Our interview with 'The Queen of Percussion' on the 40th anniversary of 'Erotic City'

Still Glamorous: Sheila E. has kept the beat going for 50 years. (Natalie Malchev)

Sheila E. is sitting in her Los Angeles home office, feeling tired after a series of gigs on the road, but incredibly gracious to accept a Zoom call with me. The undisputed “Queen of Percussion” – best known for her long professional and personal relationship with Prince and 1984 breakout hit “The Glamorous Life” – is currently touring on her latest release, Bailar. Believe it or not, it’s her first-ever salsa album.

“I always wanted to do one and the opportunity came about,” the soft-spoken drummer/singer explains. “I love challenging myself. It’s never too late to keep moving forward, experiment and try things. I think we all sometimes put ourselves in a box and are afraid to move forward. But I love change and trying to come up with something I’ve never done before. It’s so exciting!”