OK, OK, I know that beginning an entry by quoting the Twitter account of a drag queen might be a little obtuse, but I figured the majesty of Chaka Khan required something larger-than-life to frame it accurately—especially considering that we’re now living “100 Days of Chaka.”
— RuPaul (@RuPaul) March 23, 2013
It’s not a national holiday—yet—but I’m lobbying my congressman to make it happen.
In case you’re wondering what 100 Days of Chaka is, well, it’s pretty simple. The premise is similar to what we do at EDAS: Every day, Chaka posts a song/video on her website. Along with the video, she adds a note about why she chose the song, how it fits into the context of her life/career/creative process, etc. It's a pretty sexy PR maneuver to promote her new record, The IKahn Project: Alive, due out July 2.
The countdown began Saturday, Mar. 23 with Led Zeppelin’s pelvis-trembler “Ramble On,” which—wait for it—Chaka will cover on the album. (Chaka singing Robert Plant? What? How fast can it be July so I can hear this!?)
Here's my favorite live performance of Chaka with Rufus, with the song that makes me want to lock the doors and lower the blinds every time I hear it. “Tell Me Something Good,” penned by Stevie Wonder, is more than just a classic—it’s the kind of song that Glee can’t even ruin, and that's proof of its brilliance as far as I'm concerned.
Even if funk isn't your bag, check this out for the clothes alone. Chaka's serving up Tigerlily-Pocahontas-feathers-in-her-hair realness and I cannot get enough of it.
And here’s Chaka guesting on the UK powerhouse pop vocalist Beverley Knight’s “Soul Survivor,” which has the inspirational oomph of a Rocky anthem—if Rocky were a fabulous drag queen instead of a prizefighter with a brick face and a speech impediment.
No comments:
Post a Comment