Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Chaka is a singer who, as far as this reviewer is concerned, is one of the great voices of mainstream R&B music. I interviewed her back in the '70s when she was the lead singer of Rufus (which gives you some idea of how old both singer and journo are) and this, being Chaka's first album in over 10 years, is a truly exhilarating return from the diva. The lady's Christian faith adds a colouring to some of the songs, her duets with Mary J Blige and Michael McDonald are every bit as good as you'd expect them to be and the singles "Angel" and "Disrespectful" deserve wide radio exposure. Possibly my favourite cut is the blisteringly funky opener "Back In The Day" where Jam & Lewis give Chaka the perfect rock-tinged funk Prince-like groove to bring out all the soul power of that amazing voice. In the sleevenote Chaka writes, "These songs reflect many of my spiritual and life-changing experiences - I am one blessed seafarer to have landed on such wonderful shores." And we, Chaka's soul crew, are blessed to have such powerfully funky, life-affirming music.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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