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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 2000)
Page 4 April 12, 2000 ^lortlanb ©baeruer -< Focus >- contributed story for The Portland Observer Diva Diana: A tribute to Diana Ross There ain ’ t no mountain big enough to hold today’s divas plus their hair and egos. First used in B ellini’s 1831 opera Norma, the word “diva” has gone from describing an extraordinary singer whose onstage passions often spilled into h er d aily life, to encompassing any finger-snapping female celebrity with a bad attitude. V H l’s hugely successful divas concerts, which initially aired in 1998, h av e u n q u e stio n a b ly contributed to the term ’s current ubiquity. When the French thriller Diva was m ade in 1981, the film ’s title character was, as expected, an opera star.But in the forthcoming Whitney Houston remake, she’ll be recast as an R& B goddess. Has the aria gone MIA? This past fall, the diva o f old met her modem counterpart when the MTV Music Awards brought an array o f vocalists to New Y ork’s Metropolitan Opera House. The ads featured M adonna as Nonna ( a role defined by “ La Divina” - the quintessential diva, Maria Callas), and the show hit a haughty high when Diana Ross bounced the exposed breast o f her co-presenter, Lil’ Kim. It was a mentor’s move, as if to say “Girl, what are you thinking?” But while the Supreme Miss Ross k n o w s a th in g or tw o about commanding center stage, she may not have understood that a key characteristic o f today’s diva is exhibitionism. This explains a lot - like Madonna’s Sex book, Jennifer Lopez’s recent fashion choices, and Cher’s decision to bare her butt in public. And let’s not forget the massive tresses. Any diva worth her weight in wigs understands that high hair brings her closer to “goddessness.” L ook at T in a, D olly, Patti LaB elle... At Divas ’98 Mariah and Shania sported frizzy falls to give them extra height; unfortunately Aretha had demanded that the air conditioni ng be turned off to protect her vocal chords, so the girls’ curls took a beating in the ultra-humid theater. The Queen o f Soul can get away with such behavior because her voice can still melt the stoniest hearts; skill will always separate the fabulous from the fatuous. Besides, an amazing singer who acted like a down-home gal simply wouldn’tbeadiva. We require divas The Focus to be demanding, dramatic, and often outrageous. “I could never get away with behavior like that,” we shake our heads half in disgust, half in admiration, upon learning about Miss Thang’s latest stunt. The diva creates drama and ritual from life, and that’s why we love her: she is a human embodiment of the divine, excused from common behavior by virtue o f the gifts she shares with us. The problem is, there’s a very thin line between acting like a prima donna and being a spoiled brat. So have that cake and eat it while you can, diva. W e’ll look for you in our next yoga class. s o Q U « > u An Afternoon of Russian Chess CO NTRIBU TED STORY tor T he P ortland O bserver T he O reg o n C o u n cil fo r the Humanities and Literary Arts Inc., in partnership with the Portland Art Museum, will host Russian Chess Grandmaster Roman Dzindihashvili for a thrilling afternoon exploring the culture o f Russian Chess and the game itself. The event takes place in the Whitsell Auditorium and the Sunken Ballroom o f the Portland Art Museum on April 15, 2000, from 1 -5 pm. The afternoon will commence with a lecture by Dzindzihashvili on the culture o f chess in Russia. His lecture will address the role chess plays in Russian culture o f chess in Russia. His lecture will address the role chess plays in Russian culture and how chess players are selected and trained. He will also discuss the ways in which the cold war affected the playing style and perceptions o f chess in both the Soviet Union and the United States. F o llo w in g th e le c tu re , Dzindzihashvili will play 50 games simultaneously with chess players from throughout Metropolitan area including 15 young cham pion players from the after school chess program Chess for Success. We are also honored to have Portland’s own Arthur Dake, the oldest grandmaster chess player in the world playing in the exhibition. The afternoon will close with an informal chess clinic fo r you n g p la y e rs led by Dzindzihashvili. Winterfest exemplifies the best o f community collaboration, enabling a wide and diverse audience to embrace and understand the history, the culture, and the Russian art that StroganotT brings to Portland. i(f((HEDY SCU oq » <u </> © c M enam ins p r © D. £ * £ ■p Meet Your Match 1-900-896-2323 Ext. 1712 $2.99 per min Must be 18yrs Serv-U (619) 654-8434 a ^ t ’ p ^ % LAQUISHA’S BEAUTY & BATH SUPPLY ANTHONY HUFF 309 N.E. Wygant St. Portland, OR 97211 TEL: (503) 249-7329 9am to 2pm in th e G ym n asiu m $17.75 • C hildren 6 to 12 $8.95 C hildren 5 a n d u n d e r free R eserv atio n s req u ired fo r b ru n c h buffet. A dults C o u rty ard R e s ta u ra n t open fo r b re a k fa st as usual. Open Mon-Sat 9:00am-9:00pm Sunday 10am-5pm M cM enamins K ennedy Schoo 5736 NE 33rd ■ Portland, Oregon * (503) 249- www.mcmenaminB.dom
