Goddesses have captured the human imagination for millennia, but a new exhibition reveals how modern women rose to mythical status through their voices and public images.
Opening on Saturday, the exhibition Diva at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, will show the lives of singers, actresses and entertainers from the 19th century to the present day who dared to inspire and be themselves.
Five looks by Rihanna appear in the exhibition, including the Alaia leather-band dress fitted to show off her pregnancy and which was worn at this year's Oscars. She performed Lift Me Up, which was nominated for Best Original Song.
But earlier divas, such as Italian opera singer Adelina Patti, whose gowns are presented, reveal how women propelled their talent through fashion, photography and cinema.
“Diva tells a story of the diva from the 19th-century European opera to today's global megastars,” says curator Kate Bailey. “It really echoes the first wave of feminism.”
Among the earliest known divas was Italian opera singer Giuditta Pasta, who starred in Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma in 1831. There was also Dame Ellen Terry, an English actress who became a muse for the pre-raphaelite and aesthetic movements. She gained a cult-like following as the press celebrated her larger-than-life persona and stage career.
Dancers like Isadora Duncan challenged restrictive women’s clothing such as the corset. A Grecian dress worn by Duncan, loose and adapted to shape the body, appears in the exhibition.
During the world wars, divas like French dancer Josephine Baker and German-American actress Marlene Dietrich supported military efforts by serving as spies.
Baker transcended the anonymity of a showgirl and became an international star. A 1948 book about her life as a spy for the French Resistance with a foreword by French general Charles de Gaulle is presented at the museum. The American-Greek singer Maria Callas’s enduring voice is also celebrated in the exhibition.
From the 1960s onwards, the exhibition explores “diva power", through artists such as Janis Joplin, Tina Turner and Annie Lennox. “The diva has a strong sense of self and identity. Through time, these artists have used their voices with agency for better and to help society,” says Bailey.
Welsh singer Dame Shirley Bassey, whose red gown and diamante wellington boots worn at Glastonbury in 2007 appear in the exhibition, described the diva as a fighter
“To me, 'diva' is all about the power of the voice and the ability to entertain, to succeed against odds, to fight, and break through barrier after barrier: to have your voice heard," Bailey says.
The exhibition aims to “reclaim” definitions of the word, which are often used to shame women. Perhaps one example is American actress Theda Bara, who was known as The Vamp for her femme fatale roles that blended seduction with evil.
“Why has this term, which was associated with goddesses, become negative, why have these incredible artists been described as devious in a negative way?” says Bailey.
The sensual beaded dress that Bara wore in her role as Cleopatra is one of Bailey’s many highlights.
The term diva developed against a patriarchal backdrop, "perhaps a misogynistic perspective but here, it is reclaiming it as a positive", Bailey says.
Today, global stars like Beyonce, whose Cleopatra headpiece also appears in the show, have learnt to navigate the male-dominated music industry on their own terms.
Designer Bob Mackie created costumes for Tina Turner and Cher, which gave them the freedom to move and dance. This includes Turner’s famous flame dress, a red, orange and yellow sequined outfit with fold-out fire-shaped wings.
The exhibition also highlights female performers who used their fame to promote social justice. British singer-songwriter PJ Harvey shared the plight of British citizens at Guantanamo Bay detention camp with her song Shaker Aamer, and travelled to Afghanistan and Kosovo to write her ninth studio album.
But behind many divas is also a vulnerable backstory. A poignant reminder of this is Amy Winehouse, whose powerful voice was likened to Ella Fitzgerald, but who died aged 27 after losing her battle with drugs and alcohol.
Her stellar musical career was cut short by abusive personal and business relationships, which pushed her further into depression and addiction.
Her simple, tailored yellow satin cocktail dress by Preen appears in the exhibition – a reminder of Winehouse’s signature look, which sought to bring force and power to her small stature.
“It’s really important that you trace the historical struggles and still the struggles today,” says Bailey, “as well as the story where the diva is using their voice with agency and power.”
It is these pioneering efforts, as well as the struggles that go behind the making of a diva, Bailey hopes to convey. “Enjoy the music, but also remember that these performers are trying to push boundaries,” she says.
Diva runs at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, until April. More information is available at www.vam.ac.uk
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
THE DETAILS
Deadpool 2
Dir: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz
Four stars
UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
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Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
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%3Cp%3E%E2%97%8F%20Estijaba%20helpline%3A%208001717%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Ministry%20of%20Health%20and%20Prevention%20hotline%3A%20045192519%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Mental%20health%20support%20line%3A%20800%204673%20(Hope)%3Cbr%3EMore%20information%20at%20hope.hw.gov.ae%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The major Hashd factions linked to Iran:
Badr Organisation: Seen as the most militarily capable faction in the Hashd. Iraqi Shiite exiles opposed to Saddam Hussein set up the group in Tehran in the early 1980s as the Badr Corps under the supervision of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The militia exalts Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but intermittently cooperated with the US military.
Saraya Al Salam (Peace Brigade): Comprised of former members of the officially defunct Mahdi Army, a militia that was commanded by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and fought US and Iraqi government and other forces between 2004 and 2008. As part of a political overhaul aimed as casting Mr Al Sadr as a more nationalist and less sectarian figure, the cleric formed Saraya Al Salam in 2014. The group’s relations with Iran has been volatile.
Kataeb Hezbollah: The group, which is fighting on behalf of the Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, traces its origins to attacks on US forces in Iraq in 2004 and adopts a tough stance against Washington, calling the United States “the enemy of humanity”.
Asaeb Ahl Al Haq: An offshoot of the Mahdi Army active in Syria. Asaeb Ahl Al Haq’s leader Qais al Khazali was a student of Mr Al Moqtada’s late father Mohammed Sadeq Al Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric who was killed during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba: Formed in 2013 to fight alongside Mr Al Assad’s loyalists in Syria before joining the Hashd. The group is seen as among the most ideological and sectarian-driven Hashd militias in Syria and is the major recruiter of foreign fighters to Syria.
Saraya Al Khorasani: The ICRG formed Saraya Al Khorasani in the mid-1990s and the group is seen as the most ideologically attached to Iran among Tehran’s satellites in Iraq.
(Source: The Wilson Centre, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Grand Slam Los Angeles results
Men:
56kg – Jorge Nakamura
62kg – Joao Gabriel de Sousa
69kg – Gianni Grippo
77kg – Caio Soares
85kg – Manuel Ribamar
94kg – Gustavo Batista
110kg – Erberth Santos
Women:
49kg – Mayssa Bastos
55kg – Nathalie Ribeiro
62kg – Gabrielle McComb
70kg – Thamara Silva
90kg – Gabrieli Pessanha
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Scoreline
Bournemouth 2
Wilson 70', Ibe 74'
Arsenal 1
Bellerin 52'
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Royal Birkdale Golf Course
Location: Southport, Merseyside, England
Established: 1889
Type: Private
Total holes: 18
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
