‘She Will Always Have It’: Chaka Khan Leaves Netizens In Awe With Tiny Desk Concert Performance For Black Music Month

In commemorating this year’s Black Music Month, NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series is praising female musicians. The series hosted music legend Chaka Khan for a memorable 35-minute performance on Tuesday, June 18th, during which she performed some of her biggest hits.

The 10-time Grammy winner kicked things off with the high-energy Tell Me Something Good and followed with powerful performances of What Cha’ Gonna Do for Me and Stay, all while sipping tea. Guitarist Rob Bacon started off with a talk box, while bassist Melvin Davis and drummer Jay Williams provided a tight beat that assured everyone it was going to be some serious funk.

Chaka Khan’s Tiny Desk Concert celebrating Black Music Month amazes netizens

“It is tiny but it’s nice to be so close together with all of you, I can see not only your eyes but your whole mug piece. That’s a really nice thing. I really mean that. You’re not just a whole glob of flesh,” the music legend said mid-performance.

While the in-house audience grooved to What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me and Ain’t Nobody, the fans online went berserk over the musical greatness they witnessed. Someone wrote on X, “Chaka Khan is really one of the best singers of our time. Watching her sing is one of my favorite past times… because it looks so effortless. People will literally pass out trying to keep up with Chaka on stage.”

Another fan wrote, “Chaka Khan still has it. She will always have it. This is a Tiny Desk for the ages.” To this, many others agreed saying they felt goosebumps hearing Khan sing.

Tiny Desk DJ writes, “Show @ChakaKhan the love she deserves.”

One more X user couldn’t contain their excitement writing, “This Chaka Khan Tiny Desk concert is giving me life.” They continued, “[Khan] remains the crush of my whole fam. FINER THAN FROG HAIRS and the voice is just all the things.”

Chaka Khan concludes Tiny Desk Concert empowering women just in style

To wrap up the Tiny Desk concert Khan performed Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson-penned empowering anthem, I’m Every Woman. This song has inspired women for over two decades and was therefore an appropriate close for a performance that honored black women’s contributions in music. Throughout her set list, Khan’s powerful voice continued to remind us why she has remained an influential figure in music over generations.

Since appearing on stage in the 1970s as part of Rufus which played funk music, Chaka Khan has had an illustrious career that has included 22 albums, 10 Grammy Awards, jazz undertakings as well as theater exploits; she has worked with icons such as Prince, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell and Quincy Jones; finally in 2023, she was deservedly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her contribution to the music industry over 50 years.

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