CHAKA KHAN - AIN'T NOBODY!!

Yvette Marie Stevens became Chaka Khan at the age of 13 after joining an African music group called the Shades of Black. She officially became Chaka Adunne Aduffe Yemoja Hodarhi Karifi after a naming ceremony by a Yoruba priest. When I listened to her powerful voice while growing up in the mean streets of Detroit, I always wondered where her wild name came from! I'm a long way from home now, but every time I hear this song, it takes me all the way back to my roots.
During the brief reunion with her group, Rufus, one of the pre-eminent funk groups of their decade, they recorded the album "Rufus and Chaka Khan Live! Stompin' at the Savoy" which included the top ten hit "Ain't Nobody...the song I am dedicating to the Readers today. For her thirty-plus years in the spotlight, Chaka Khan has virtually defined the term "Soul Diva," through a string of memorable, soulful performances and a singularly strong personality both as a member of Rufus and as a solo artist.