EVERY WOMAN

CHAKA KHAN sits down with VIVIENNE TANG to discuss Hong Kong as a potential home, family life and the music industry's hardships

THE LEGENDARY SOUL icon Chaka Khan, who was born Yvette Marie Stevens, has enjoyed a long and successful career. She shot to fame in the 1970s with her band Rufus, but later embarked on a fruitful solo career. Her most famous songs include I’m Every Woman, Ain’t Nobody and I Feel for You. Today, the singer still holds concerts around the world and spends much of her spare time helping the less fortunate.

Do you still perform much?
Yes, I live on the road. I live out of my suitcases. Love it. It’s the one thing that I do that’s easy for me. My life is a wreck, but I can sing [laughs].

You were a role model for many women. Did you ever feel like your mission was to empower women?
I’m about empowering men and women, anybody – empowering the weak; people who fall through the cracks. I want them to know their power and to exercise it.

You’ve always had a very big heart. You set up the Chaka Khan Foundation, which assists women and children with an emphasis on education and autism.
We all owe each other an easier time, help, assistance. And I just think it’s the most natural thing in the world. I know people who are very covetous and hoard…It will eventually fall in your lap. The more you give, the more you get. But that’s not why I give. I give because I see a need. I assist anybody who has a need, and if there’s something that they’re truly trying to overcome, I’ll give whatever I can. We started out focusing on autism. But now we’ve morphed into education. So every year we take on children and take them to campus three times a week and tutor them. And they love it. I’m very hands-on – when I’m home.

Where do you call home?
California. I go between California and London, although I’m not in London as often as I’d love to be.

Why do you like London so much?
It was my gateway to Europe. And from there I branched out – Germany, Switzerland. I was thinking to buy a property where I can retire. I’ll probably never retire [laughs]. Pseudo-retirement. I was thinking about Switzerland at first, but now I’m looking at Hong Kong. We went to China yesterday, and after we shopped for like seven hours, we had a massage. I was so satisfied. The people here are so much like home. I’m from Chicago.

You’ve received 10 Grammys, and you’ve achieved so many things. Are there still things on your to-do-list?
Oh, hell yeah. I paint and draw. I would like to do some more artwork. I sculpt. I just don’t have the time to do it. But I have three lovely grandchildren. So I spend a lot of time with the family when I’m home. I also play bass and drums, but I just picked up the cello recently. I would love to sky dive. I feel like it’s something I could do. I lived in Germany for 10 years. I speak German. My boyfriend was a professor there. We used to go horseback riding in the forest on the weekend. I really miss doing that. I love to do anything that has to do with children. I’m crazy about kids.

You have two children, is that right?
Yes, my daughter is a singer. She sings with Rufus. My son hasn’t really decided what he wants to be. The good thing is that neither one lives with me [laughs].

Did you convince your daughter to become a singer?
In fact, I tried to convince her to do the opposite. She saw the hardships. When they were little, they used to climb in my suitcase when I was leaving. She knows how the road is. But she’s a great singer. She’s only four-foot-11. She’s a little thing.

Is there something you would have done differently? Do you have any regrets?
Everything made me the woman I am today. Even though some of the things I’ve done have been detrimental to my health, like using drugs. I had to learn what not to do. I know pretty well what I don’t want. I’m still not clear on what I want [laughs].

You have two names, and they’re both very real. Which characteristics belong to which person?
Chaka Khan, of course, is the entertainer, the one who has to get up, suit up, show up. I’m actually a rather shy person. When I’m off the road, I don’t go out. I’m just very private.

Many musicians develop their own clothes or cosmetics line. Is that something that interests you?
I’ve been approached many times, from candles to chocolates, everything. If I could come up with some sort of herbal or healthy thing that was viable and that I could give to people exactly like how I want to give it to them…that is almost impossible to do. There are too many hands in it. Once I saw the mechanics behind it, I was like, “Hell no.”

You’ve worked with some of the best, such as Stevie Wonder, Prince…
…Miles Davis. I grew up listening to Charlie Parker, Miles and Ella. I knew all of them. I got to meet and work with all those great people.

What do you think of the musicians today?
I think Beyoncé is good. Mary [J Blige]’s all right. I’ve collaborated with her. Most of my friends are not musicians. Most of my friends work at the bank or the post office. A lot of the people in the business tend to be very fickle, and they think that they’re gods and goddesses. I don’t have time for ego trips.

Is there anyone you could imagine collaborating with?
Sure, Snoop and I were supposed to do some stuff. I like to work with him. I like his tracks. I think he’s true to the art form.

What has been your biggest achievement?
Being alive and to still do what I do. That’s miraculous. Hell, I shouldn’t be here. A lot of my friends are not here any more…Perfectly healthy people are just stressed out.

Is fame partly responsible for that?
Yeah, it’s a killer. It’s like prostitution. If you sell a part of yourself that is so dear…you can’t sell God. In music I speak the language of the angels. It’s a high form of communication. When you pimp that, you do something awful. It’s been happening for me for a long time, but now that’s changed. And I’m happy about that. Most artists today can go straight to the people. You don’t need a record company.

So you think it’s mainly the record company’s fault?
Yes, absolutely…like, Elvis Presley had a lifetime contract. That’s crazy.

So who are you with now?
Nobody. Myself!