Now who's a diva?

Diva: a distinguished female operatic singer; a female operatic star or prima donna.

I recently went to hear my friend Charlie sing in an opera showcase. He is a quite talented tenor, and it was fun to hear him sing in a true concert hall. Usually I am subjected to his singing in places such as my kitchen or his car, which are not exactly great acoustic settings....and frankly a voice that size has no business in a space that small. It's rather painful. I imagine that opera stars must wear earplugs so they don't blow out each others' eardrums when they are singing together on stage.

Anyway, as wonderful as Charlie was and as much fun as it is to watch a friend perform, the highlight of my evening was a performance by a mezzo soprano. The quality of her voice was so clear and rich, it literally took my breath. I have never heard in person such an incredible voice before. It didn't seem real.

Now, I realize I am a complete dork and a bit of an oddity in my enjoyment of opera, but as a language person, I should have been quicker to appreciate the nuances of the word diva. I came home from this stunning performance and told a friend of mine that I was, "totally wowed by a diva." And her response was, "Which one are you rooting for?" um what? I am embarrassed at the length of time it took me to realize that she thought I was talking about American Idol. :) In my awe of the diva I heard perform, I sort of forgot about the modern inclusiveness of this term....and it's negative connotations.

So now that we call misbehaved, mildly talented pop-stars divas, what should we call the truly talented? If they are now the divas, the woman I heard singing last week definitely deserves a better title.