By Kevin L. Carter, For The Inquirer - POSTED: July 12, 2013
Chaka Khan has won 11 Grammys and has, for the last 40 years, been a presence on the American music scene. At 60, she prides herself on being able to sing pop, dance, R&B, funk, soul, jazz, gospel, classical, and country.
But what about Bollywood? A few years ago, the promoters of an Indian-themed show in Central Jersey listed on a handbill the array of performers scheduled to appear at a live event at a theater in Middlesex County. Among other Bollywood movie singers was one Chaka Khan.
Alas, it was not the Chaka Khan who played the show. But Khan, laughing at the story ("Oh my God, are you kidding me? I'm going to look it up right away. Unbelievable"), said she could probably have pulled it off.
"I can sing anything," she said proudly this week from her home in Los Angeles. "I could do anything, I think. I've done everything except for Chinese folk music, and if I could find the right song, I'd do it. I love many genres of music."
Khan is the first attraction in this year's "Essence of Entertainment" series at the Dell. She kicks off this year's Thursday night summer concert series tomorrow. Fantasia and the Whispers follow this month, as well as Jeffrey Osborne, Dave Koz, and Cameo, among others, in August. (For more information, go to www.mydelleast.com or call 215-683-3675.)
There are no secrets with Chaka Khan. She turned 60 this year and was honored when a street near her high school was named for her in her native Chicago. "I've arriven, arrived," she said, laughing. "If you have a street named after you in Chicago, it's a very big honor."
She was also honored at the Howard Theatre in Washington and New York's Apollo, not just for her musical achievements but also for her charitable work through the Chaka Khan Foundation.
Read more: http://articles.philly.com/2013-07-12/news/40516518_1_joni-mitchell-essence-dell
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