Events

[FUNK] It’s been a wild ride for Chaka Khan, who is making a rare Western New York appearance at Seneca Niagara Casino’s Events Center in Niagara Falls on Saturday, January 27. Since releasing her last full length in 2007, Funk This, which won two Grammy awards and featured covers of Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, the Doobie Brothers and Prince, she’s taken primary custody of her granddaughter, entered rehab, become vegan to combat blood pressure and diabetes, and made unlikely appearances on both Celebrity Ghost Stories and Dancing with the Stars—all this after already surviving an even wilder ride as the lead singer of Rufus, a distinction that’s earned her the title “First Lady of Funk.” Having recently celebrated 40 years of activity in music, Khan holds an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music and has been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice (once herself, once as a member of Rufus). There have been some tough moments along the way, but you’d never know it looking at her—at 64, she appears radiant and healthy and sounds great. A soul diva gifted with a jazz singer’s sense of timing,  Khan has maintained a steady touring schedule throughout her ups and downs. Her pipes still project with power, now seasoned with some of the grit that comes with years of use and hard-won experience. Most recently she announced a full disc of Joni Mitchell covers, and a video of backup vocalists recording their parts of Mitchell’s “Help Me” for the project surfaced on YouTube. Khan also has enough shelved material in the vaults with former label Warner Brothers to fill an entire box set (or at least a 2CD compilation). While we wait to see what materializes next, you can expect her live set to consist of both solo and Rufus hits, a deep cut or two and maybe a jazz standard.