diva Wiktionary, the free dictionary

In Beyoncé’s song ‘Diva’, she tells us that a “diva is a female version of a hustler”. Certainly, when men work hard – even if that means neglecting their families or lashing out at crew members for not understanding their creative visions, for example – they rarely get criticised in the same way. For a female star to lean into ‘hustle culture’ and creative perfection is to become selfish, arrogant, over-confident, and a diva. We travel to La Scala in Milan, Italy the iconic stage where every opera singer dreams of performing. Exploring the definition of diva-dom is the exhibition DIVA, just opened at the V&A, London. “The exhibition will show that there are many definitions and interpretations of a diva,” lead curator Kate Bailey tells BBC Culture.

Quiz categories containing diva

• “I’ve almost never seen a great musician who had an upper-class background. There’s something good about ghettos because if you come from there, it makes you want more. It makes you say, ‘One day I’ll be someone’.”
• If you’re not running to call a man a diva, then why are you calling a woman one for similar behaviours?
• The diva’s glamorous lifestyle was the envy of many, with private jets and luxurious vacations.8.
• Despite her diva persona, she had a heart of gold and regularly donated to charity.
• Yet Callas did arguably channel real-life trauma and conflict into her musical delivery, and seemed bound by the notion of “destiny”.
• The musician explains a heavy moment thinking about the lyrics of a song from his forthcoming album.

It is derived from the Italian word ‘diva,’ which means ‘goddess’ or ‘female deity.’ In the world of opera, the term ‘diva’ was historically used to refer to the leading female singer, often the soprano, who typically portrayed the central female character, often a heroine or a mythological figure. These women were considered the stars of the show, possessing exceptional talent, confidence, and sometimes demanding personalities. Over time, the term ‘diva’ has broadened to describe not only talented female singers and performers but also individuals, regardless of their profession, who exhibit qualities of exceptional talent, confidence, and occasionally a degree of assertiveness or high expectations. Thus, the etymology of ‘diva’ highlights its historical association with female deities and the elevated status and exceptional qualities attributed to female performers, as conveyed by its linguistic heritage. Divas, says Fairclough, are “symbols of empowerment, self-acceptance and celebration of individuality, and challenging societal norms” and, as such, play an important role in LGBTQ+ culture. On her podcast last year, Meghan Markle appeared to take umbrage at Mariah Carey calling her a diva, while Carey, the daughter of an opera singer, has come to embrace the term.
From Italian, from Latin, the feminine form of dīvus (“divine one; deified mortal”). The role leading the renovated Jersey Opera House is advertised with a salary of up to £90,000. Why labels like ‘high protein’ and ‘low fat’ and other ‘health halos’ can be misleading.
Lizzo’s promotion of body positivity is just one example of how dedicated divas have used their platform for good. Known as “America’s Sweetheart”, but uncompromising when it came to her career, she broke from the stranglehold of the studio system to co-found production company United Artists, blazing a trail for numerous savvy successors, who have set up their own production companies to tell stories with strong roles for women. A female singer or performer who is talented, confident, and demanding.”The diva demanded that her dressing room be filled with only white flowers.” In the 21st Century, Callas has taken the form of a hologram on tour (though it’s unlikely that the real-life perfectionist star would have approved of the glitchy tech), and been portrayed by actresses including Fanny Ardant (in Zeffirelli’s 2002 biopic Callas Forever) and Angelina Jolie (set to star in Pablo Larraín’s upcoming film Maria). In 1936, dissatisfied with the unambitious roles offered within her contract to Warner Bros, and earning a salary inferior to her contemporaries, she sued the studio. Not only did her pay go up, but subsequent roles such as the stubborn and spoiled Julie Marsden in Jezebel (1938), which earned her a second Oscar, and the histrionic, ageing actress Margo Channing in All About Eve (1950) made cinema history, and cemented the trope of the drama-loving diva.

Gustavo Dudamel: ‘Music has the power to change the world’

DIVA brings you the latest in lesbian and bi related celebrity interviews, news, politics, pop culture, style, travel, social issues, entertainment and more. Borrowed from Italian diva (“diva, goddess”), from Latin dīva (“goddess”), female of dīvus (“divine, divine one; notably a deified mortal”). Borrowed from Italian diva (“goddess”), from Latin diva, feminine form of divus. Bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel is one of the most distinguished opera singers of our age.

Pop-up opera surprises customers in cafes and pubs

The diva’s glamorous lifestyle was the envy of many, with private jets and luxurious vacations.8. The Diva diva gracefully glided across the stage, effortlessly commanding the spotlight.9. Fans eagerly awaited the diva’s next release, eagerly anticipating her musical genius.10.

The musical mountaineers serenading the wilderness

The diva’s performance at the award ceremony left the audience spellbound, reaffirming her status as a true star.14. Despite her diva status, the singer remained humble, always grateful for her success. The renowned opera diva captivated the audience with her breathtaking performance.2.
For many people, especially during this golden age, seeing a woman act determinedly to achieve success was startling and, quite frankly, enough to earn them the diva label. Callas maintained her poise in the face of astounding cruelty, and long before mainstream notions of artist wellbeing or body positivity; it’s hard to imagine people camping out for Beyoncé or Gaga shows solely to jeer or pelt the stars with vegetables. Derided in her youth for being fat, Callas was later slated for being too thin; her weight loss was said to contribute to her vocal decline, although the intensity and range of her work was surely a factor.
While these facts are likely very true – Davis might have very well been an insufferable person to be around – how much of this criticised behaviour was enacted by male stars, too? There were just as many hard-to-work-with men in the industry – and continue to be – who do not receive the diva label. And even worse, many of these men committed acts far worse than arguing with directors or looking down on others – like sexual harassment or abuse.

• While Garbo’s reclusiveness might have been perceived by many as snobbish, and her arguments with MGM executives deemed unprofessional, we cannot truly know the reasons behind her actions.
• Borrowed from Italian diva (“goddess”), from Latin diva, feminine form of divus.
• DIVA Charitable Trust offers a range of platforms, delivering content relevant to the interests of LGBTQI women through print, digital, mobile and social.
• From Italian, from Latin, the feminine form of dīvus (“divine one; deified mortal”).
• In 1936, dissatisfied with the unambitious roles offered within her contract to Warner Bros, and earning a salary inferior to her contemporaries, she sued the studio.
• Considering that much of what we know about celebrities has been constructed through the media, we can never be sure of what a person is really like unless we know them personally.
• Faced with motor neurone disease (MND), Paul Jameson is reclaiming his voice through opera.

Example sentences containing diva

The trope of the demanding, drama-loving diva is everywhere throughout the history of stage, screen, music and more. But a new exhibition celebrates the diva for what she really is – fabulous, writes Deborah Nicholls-Lee. Davis wrote in her memoir, The Lonely Life, “I have always been driven by some distant music — a battle hymn no doubt — for I have been at war from the beginning. I was going to conquer the world.” Her determination for cinematic excellence is outlined here, loud and clear.

Callas at 100: ‘This is the stuff legends are made of’

There is only one Callas, yet there are seemingly countless incarnations; as listeners, we project our personal desires, and distresses, onto her expressions – and we continue to bond with her music, in unpredictable ways. A new documentary explores the highs and lows of Callas’s life, as well as what her legacy is today. “She worked so hard, she made herself Maria Callas – she made herself the greatest diva,” Stella Kourmapana, archivist at the Athens Conservatoire, explains in Maria Callas, part of the BBC series Take Me to The Opera.