Originating from the Latin for deity or goddess, our concept of what a 'diva' might be - or should be - has evolved in richness and complexity. Delving into the personas of performers from Sarah Bernhardt to Rihanna, this book looks at what it has meant to be a diva, and what unites and defines these unique artists. Opening with 19th-century opera stars and 20th-century silent-screen sirens, it then focuses on different aspects of divadom: from Hollywood icons such as Elizabeth Taylor and Bette Davis cultivating their image to the activism of artists such as Billie Holiday and Miriam Makeba; from the acumen shown by Dolly Parton and Beyonce to the development of radical new musical identities by Madonna, Missy Elliot and Lady Gaga; from new ways of performing gender and sexuality by Tina Turner, Freddie Mercury and Grace Jones to the tensions between public and private experience by the likes of Amy Winehouse and Liza Minnelli.
Contributions by:
Veronica Castro,
Sasha Geffen,
Keith Lodwick,
Lucy O'Brien
Edited by:
Kate Bailey
Imprint: Victoria & Albert Pubs
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 290mm,
Width: 230mm,
ISBN: 9781838510350
ISBN 10: 1838510354
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 30 May 2023
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction: Redefining the Diva, Kate Bailey -- A Star is Born: Creating the Diva, Keith Lodwick -- Backlash Blues: Voice for Change, Jacqueline Springer -- Rule the World: Status, Power, Freedom, Veronica Castro -- Express Yourself: Rebel Reinventon, Lucy O'Brien -- I Want to Break Free: Liberating the DIVA, Sasha Geffen -- By Myself: Negotiating the Public and the Private, Miranda Sawyer
Kate Bailey is Senior Curator of Design and Scenography in the Theatre and Performance Department at the V&A.
Reviews for Diva
"""In all its contradictions -- privileged but socially engaged, famous but fighting for privacy, in control but subject to the whims of her industry -- the diva remains a beloved figure.""-- ""New York Times"" (6/30/2023 12:00:00 AM)"
