Sheyla Bonnick starts sentences with a laugh and ends them with a truth that lingers. As one of the founding voices of Boney M., she conquered the world's stages before she was even an adult – and yet she never stood still. Fashion, writing, game design, her own international show: Sheyla has never let herself be pinned down to a single role.

In conversation with Refined Power, she talks about her Jamaican roots, the courage to move to Germany alone at 18, and what "Refined Power" means to her personally. An interview about heritage, starting over, and the quiet strength that emerges when a woman stops apologizing.

Roots: Jamaica, England, and Germany

Sheyla, you look absolutely fantastic – so energetic, radiant, and feminine. Now, with autumn approaching: how are you doing in this phase of life? How are you really doing?

Thank you so much for those warm, uplifting words. It's interesting that you ask, because this season isn't my best. I suffer from mild seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.), but I've found many ways to deal with it. I never let it keep me down for long.

You were born in Jamaica and moved to England at a very young age. How much of Jamaica do you still carry within you today – in your personality, your music, or simply in how you see life?

I'm very proud of my Jamaican roots and still live many aspects of the culture today: the food, the language – Patois – and in some ways the attitude too, although I wouldn't call myself a typical Jamaican. A large part of my new material is reggae, which will always stay close to my soul.

Do you still have family or close ties in Jamaica, and do you ever go back? Does it feel like coming home, or has your idea of home changed over the years?

I have a lot of family in Jamaica, although we're not especially close. Most of my family lives in Britain and America. The last time I was there was 15 years ago, on the way to a Caribbean cruise. Since then I've made plans to go back several times, but it never quite worked out. I hope I'll make it there one day. It's such a beautiful, beloved country – you can tell, since everyone tries to speak Jamaican! That brief visit back then was very moving, but I couldn't live there anymore. Europe has been my home for years, even though I appreciate so much about many different countries.

You were only 18 when you left England and moved to Hanover. What gave you the courage to take such a big step at such a young age, and what stands out most vividly from your first years in Germany?

Germany felt very foreign and exciting at first, but later became overwhelming too. Still, I look back fondly on my time there and met some of the most interesting people of my life while I was there.

"You can let other people's prejudice hold you back – or you refuse to give it that power, and you succeed."