Hayley : diva tendencies ?

[Stephany]

Hi everyone,
Looks like Hayley has already started giving interviews in Australia.
Here is she one from "The Sunday Herald Sun".
Best wishes,
Stephany

Dawn only diva

NUI TE KOHA and PETA HELLARD
29 April 2007
Sunday Herald Sun
Copyright 2007 News Ltd. All Rights Reserved


Soprano star Hayley Westenra has revealed her diva tendencies.

Sadly, they pale in comparison to Westenra's country cousin, opera superstar and knicker knacker Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.

Westenra expanded on backstage badness when The Buzz asked her to confirm a US report that she shows no diva behaviour whatsoever.

"I do have a few," Westenra, 20, said. "I need my sleep. That's No.1. I'm not great if I'm woken up early in the morning.

"And I need my water on me at all times. But other than that, I'm pretty grounded. The people I suround myself with are all down to earth. I can count on them to pull me into line. I think it's my New Zealand upbringing."

Dame Kiri, who also had a New Zealand upbringing, was in court earlier this year to give testimony about cancelling a string of proposed dates with John Farnham.

The Dame said she disagreed with Whispering Jack's onstage banter and underwear being hurled onstage by his fans.

Westenra, in town this week to promote her new album, Treasure, said the classical world was notorious for diva behavior.

"No names, but I've seen it happen and it's embarrassing to watch," Westenra said. "You do yourself no favours behaving this way."

Westenra has sold two million albums worldwide. She is an ambassador for charity group Unicef (recently raised money to buy 6000 bicycles for schoolgirls in Ghana) and has a part time gig with Irish vocal ensemble Celtic Woman.

For now, Westenra's focus is Treasure, a collection of traditional Irish and New Zealand songs and four new tunes. She dedicates the album to her grandmother, Shirley Ireland, who passed on most of the songs to Hayley.

"She has always been a never-ending source of songs," Westenra said.

Hayley Westenra will be at Readings, 701 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, on Tuesday at 6.30pm. She will perform and sign copies of her new album.

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[jons]

stephany said:

"I do have a few," Westenra, 20, said. "I need my sleep. That's No.1. I'm not great if I'm woken up early in the morning.

"And I need my water on me at all times. But other than that, I'm pretty grounded. The people I suround myself with are all down to earth. I can count on them to pull me into line. I think it's my New Zealand upbringing."

Thanks Stephany,

If that is Hayley's idea of Diva tendencies then I'm blown away by how amazing she is! (But I know that already) Hayley is the most human of beings this world has to offer. Thats cheered me up!

Hayley Days!

[grant]

stephany said:

and has a part time gig with Irish vocal ensemble Celtic Woman.

I would have thought it's a bit more than that!!

Grant

[Stephany]

I'm not great if I'm woken up early in the morning.

I can almost imagine Hayley feeling lousy and dizzy in the morning...

[Martin]

"I do have a few," Westenra, 20, said. "I need my sleep. That's No.1. I'm not great if I'm woken up early in the morning.

Neither am I so does that make me a diva?

Martin

[petertong]

martin said:

"I do have a few," Westenra, 20, said. "I need my sleep. That's No.1. I'm not great if I'm woken up early in the morning.

Neither am I so does that make me a diva?

Martin

Nope it makes the both of us Divas i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

best,
Peter T.

[Dori]

Well, she never performed in Auckland....then again, it was a very small shop.
Dori

[stevemacdonald]

Not being a diva may endear Hayley to her existing fanbase, but it could possibly hold her back in other ways.

Nearly all mega-successful female singers are perceived as divas by a significant portion of their public. You may love Streisand, Dion, and Mariah, but don't you dare cross them. These powerful women are assertive and don't take much guff from anyone. Same with Madonna and Cher. Dame Kiri can be a trainwreck if you really push her buttons.

Fact is, "diva" gets you respect. "Diva" gets you ahead. "Diva" tells those around you "look out for me" -- and they do.

Hayley's diva factor is non-existent at this point in her career. She's ultra-low maintenance and undemanding. This hasn't served her very well, especially on the Il Divo tour where she was at a constant disadvantage. A true diva would've commanded a better microphone, a clear intro, a seated audience, a stage area to work with bigger than the small leftover portion they afforded her.

I'm happy for those who find her unassuming manner so enchanting, but I suspect her larger success will ultimately be held hostage by it.

[Natasha]

I disagree. Being a diva never wins you any favors, ESPECIALLY when your a new artist working your way to the top. The pros just won't tolerate it.

But there is a difference from being a diva, and knowing what you want and being assertive. Hayley is shy, so really her manager should have taken care of those details. But either way, time should help her assert herself better, but no one should ever become a diva. It does not help you in the least.

[Dave]

stevemacdonald said:

I'm happy for those who find her unassuming manner so enchanting, but I suspect her larger success will ultimately be held hostage by it.

If Hayley was to compromise her principles and take on a Diva-like personna, she could easily lose much of her existing fanbase which is attracted to her for what she has been and still is. This might lead to a short-term increase in her CD sales due to the publicity she would attract but I suspect that after a short while, this would fade and she would end up worse off.

Hayley is what she is... and that is not a Diva (in the modern sense of the word not the original technical definition). If it means that she misses out on that elusive US Gold album because of it, so be it. Better to have a long term career like Sissel of Norway (who like Hayley is a superstar in her homeland) than a "pop and drop" International career as a faux-Diva. Divas are ten a penny and most have pretty short careers.

Of course, International superstardom *could* happen at any time... one theme song in a blockbuster movie like Titanic would do it. But that sort of fame certainly isn't necessary and it may not even be sought by Hayley. I hope she stays true to herself.

Cheers, Dave

[Eric]

"I do have a few," Westenra, 20, said. "I need my sleep. That's No.1. I'm not great if I'm woken up early in the morning.

"And I need my water on me at all times. But other than that, I'm pretty grounded. .... I think it's my New Zealand upbringing."

I think I'm in love!!! (Oh! oops...Wrong thread!!)

But seriously, I do think that Hayley is far from being "diva" material. Divas focus on themselves...how to gain gratification and remain comfortable. Haha...try telling that to Hayley after she spends countless hours without sleep, intense focus on pouring her heart into each of her performances, and trip after trip away from home and friends. Divas ride the temporary "popular" wave, and Hayley seems to build lasting and meaningful relationships with her fans. The loyalty factor may be a little higher amongst these latter type of fans. None of this is in question, I think.

As far as how to remain successful and be non-diva material...I think Hayley has done a tremendous job with that so far. Sadly, she may never reach the whole world, but in the end, I think Hayley is much happier being the way she is. She touches so many lives this way, and wins so many hearts.

Regards,
Eric
(Just a country boy in the back of the "longest line on earth" (i.e. the "I'm in love with Hayley" line) Hey, it's a long line...what else you gonna do but think up these "philosophical" things, while you're waiting?

EDIT:

But that sort of fame certainly isn't necessary and it may not even be sought by Hayley. I hope she stays true to herself.

Beautifully spoken, Dave.

[toronado]

All I know is Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is certainly commanding a diva-like pricetag when she is performing in Central Florida this season.

[Dave]

But Hayley isn't an acclaimed opera singer and there's no point in her pretending to be one. She'd have to become a pop diva, most of whom have fairly short careers. Hayley has a unique niche in the market that is proving very hard for anyone else to challenge her in. If she moves out of it and makes dramatic changes, she does so at at her peril!

Dave

[stevemacdonald]

Since when does standing up for yourself require compromising your principles? Is Hayley afraid of the risk of appearing Diva-like? It's not asking too much, is it, to have the tour caterers supply fresh, non-fried edibles. Nor is it unladylike to demand a decent mention in a concert program. Maybe she's heard all the horror stories of stars who took their rider demands to an extreme and were later outted in The Smoking Gun.

I don't see any harm in Hayley asserting her will when it would make a considerable difference in comfort and performance quality. If she acquires a reputaion of being a pushover because she's so accommodating then she will only have herself to hold accountable when the food is sub-par or the venue's too cold, or the security too lax, or whatever.

There must be a grey area she can safely explore between Diva-like and enlightened-self-interest minded. Yes, there is always that risk of the wrong tabloid reporter at the wrong time taking a perfectly legitimate demand out of context and exposing it, but so what? It goes with the territory.

[Eric]

Steve - Hayley has such a loveable personality, that I don't think anyone would take it as being super-assertive if she did require some of those things at her concerts. She doesn't strike me as the type of individual that would, simply because she is more worried about other things, like her immediate performance. However, I wouldn't consider her a pushover, either. I feel like she would stand up for herself it the situation arose.