Over the past few decades, there’s been a handful of female vocalists who’ve made such a huge musical impact, you only need say their first names and their voices instantly spring to mind: Aretha, Tina, Joni, Barbra … and Chaka.
Dubbed “the queen of funk soul”, Chaka Khan’s 35 year career has won her 10 Grammy awards – the American musical equivalent of the Oscar – 8 as a solo artist and two with her original band, Rufus.
She has a dozen solo albums and a stream of hit singles under her belt, but her last album was way back in 1998. Now, a decade later, she’s back with a new CD, Funk This, which has won this year’s Grammy award for best R&B album.
I grew up dancing round my bedroom to Chaka Khan’s records so I was overjoyed to meet my heroine just before one of her world tour concerts in the Italian city of Parma.
First broadcast 13th August 2008 on Arts on the Air.