At the beginning of the last century, few women in showbiz were as dazzling as Lyda Borelli (1894-1959). With stunning beauty and long blond hair, the italian actress specialized in playing seductive women in theater and film productions – who, from time to time, died by drinking poison as punishment for their evil deeds. But Lyda was so admired and imitated by the young women of that period that she came to be called a diva (goddess, in latin).
The term, until then, was used in the 19th century to label opera singers who combined talent with –how can we say that?– temperamental attitudes. In Lyda’s case, however, it served to classify an artist with such striking charisma and beauty that the act of venerating her became almost obligatory. Mariah Carey, the star of two memorable performances in Brazil in September (on the 20th at Allianz Parque, in Sao Paulo, and on the 22nd at Rock in Rio), is the perfect translation of a diva, in both senses and entitled to all possible praise. “Being a diva goes beyond talent: it makes us go from listeners to fans. There are few, and they make a difference. Mariah is, without a doubt, one of them”, says Roberto Medina, president of Rock World, the company that organizes Rock in Rio.
For Zé Ricardo, artistic vice president of Rock World, “diva is about trajectory. It is almost a position to be achieved over time, with incredible recordings and performances that fans never forget”. “It inspires and is synonymous with respect and admiration. It elevates our perception of the power of music.” Mariah herself, in an interview with Billboard Brasil, reflects on the concept. “Diva is nothing new to me, because my mother was an opera singer, a world where this word is often used. When I first started out professionally, people referred to me with that term. So I thought, ‘OK, you can call me a diva.’”
And what a diva she is. She has sold 320 million records worldwide, including albums and singles (streaming was not included). Is the second artist with the most number 1s on the US charts: nineteen singles, second only to the Beatles, who have topped the charts 20 times –Taylor Swift, for example, has “only” 12. In 2022, Mariah was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an institution that has among its members at least three architects of the modern pop universe: the duos Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Gerry Goffin and Carole King, and John Lennon and Paul McCartney. During the ceremony, the singer allowed herself to joke with the audience about the world of songwriting. “It’s not the easiest profession in the world.”
“I’ve never measured my career by the awards I’ve won or could win. But this nomination is very important, because most people think I’m just a performer,” she explains. Mariah is the author or co-author of practically all of her songs. One of the most memorable, in fact, is “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, created in partnership with Brazilian producer Walter Afanasieff (“Can you believe he’s brazilian? I thought he was russian”, she says in surprise). The song, which has just turned three decades old, changed the history of Christmas albums, a tradition in the North American market. Stylistically, it is more like Motown songs (the record label that gave the world none other than Michael Jackson) than the Christmas carols that were constantly re-recorded for the occasion. Its success put soul and pop on hold for Santa Claus.
“I wrote the song when I was a child, on an old Casio keyboard”, said the singer in an interview with the Billboard. It was then up to Afanasieff – who was recruited to work more intensively with Maria starting with her second album – to transform the draft into a winning song. According to “Vanity Fair” magazine, there are plans to do a tour to celebrate the single’s anniversary. When asked, Mariah dodged the question.
But let’s get back to the diva subject. A person worthy of the title must combine charisma, talent and the wisdom to take advantage of opportunities. Although the diva is something – at least for this writer – from birth, constant improvement is necessary to achieve her goal. Mariah has all the qualities, combined with an eternal search for perfection. “I always want to do my best. I don’t know if that means an obsession with perfection,” she says. There are, however, some exaggerations. In a report in The New York Times about the 2001 album “Glitter”, critic Jon Pareles wrote that the singer even flew from Los Angeles to New York in order to return to the recording studio and fix a note that she thought was out of tune. As it is a traumatic album, this critic avoided talking about “Glitter”. But she did say she sometimes revises recordings. “Yes, sometimes I listen to the first version of the song and think, ‘Hmm, I could do better.’ I’ll go back to the studio and redo it.”
The trajectory of a diva also has a touch of predestination. And Mariah was born to be great. She came into the world on March 27, 1969, the daughter of opera singer Patricia and aeronautical engineer Alfred Roy Carey. The name Mariah is inspired by the song “They Call the Wind Maria”, from the 1951 musical “Paint Your Wagon”. When her parents separated, Patricia was responsible for supporting the family. She, in fact, was Mariah’s first singing teacher and her favorite opera soprano. “I often say that ‘To Start Again’, an album of arias that my mother released in the 1970s, is my favorite opera,” he says.
Mariah, however, was cut out to be a pop star. The young singer’s main influences in the 1980s were Whitney Houston (obviously) and George Michael. “I’m a fan of ‘Faith’, an album he released in 1987. He was a great singer and, until the end of his life [Michael died of a heart attack, at Christmas 2016], he continued doing interesting things”, he comments.
Mariah’s first big step towards fame came in 1988, when she accompanied Brenda K. Starr to a party – she acted as a backing vocalist – and gave a demo tape to Tommy Mottola, an executive at the Columbia record label. Impressed by what he heard, he spent two weeks searching for the mysterious singer. When he finally hired her, he used the power he had in the company to transform Mariah Carey into a huge star.
Mottola’s kickoff was important, but Mariah’s career cannot and should not be reduced to the executive’s influence. Mariah broke several barriers to reach the top of fame and critical respect. She was, for example, called a “fabricated” artist and a “soulless singer” due to the excess of sugary ballads that marked the beginning of her career. But she showed above average musicality. As Kelefa Sanneh, from “The New York Times”, rightly pointed out, “Mariah was much more talented than her detractors imagined. After a few years of success in the pop world, she took a turn towards hip hop. She was embraced by the genre’s radio stations, which were becoming musical powerhouses, and helped teach a generation of pop and R&B singers to see rappers as their natural allies and potential collaborators. She also developed an evasive and syncopated singing style that helped her move away from big ballads towards simpler compositions, aimed at the dance floor”, declared Sanneh, in the book “Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres.”
The turn in her career made Mariah even more of a reference in the trajectory of young performers. “Every now and then, I am approached by singers who say they were influenced by me. I feel grateful for that”, she tells Billboard Brasil. But who are the fans who became pop idols? “I won’t mention a particular one because anyone left out might get upset with me”, says Mariah. But it is known that Beyoncé and Grimes, for example, are admirers.
In Brazilian showbiz, there is at least one declared fan: Anitta. The singer even wore a wig similar to Mariah’s hair in the video for “Não Para”, from 2013. “Mariah is synonymous with diva all over the world. With a unique voice and her timeless pop aesthetic, she has won over a legion of fans across the planet. I say that she was and is a reference for me in many ways. I have all the CDs and made my whole family listen and fall in love with her work. Talking about Mariah is talking about an eternal pop icon”, confesses Anitta.
Mariah Carey, as producer João Marcello Bôscoli points out, brings together, in an exemplary way, tuning, timbre and interpretation. “She is a person with an unusual gift. She sings a lot and has reached a very high level”, he explains.
One of the most famous attributes of Americana is the whistle note, that high pitch that sounds between one verse and another. “The high notes have always existed. Aretha Franklin, for example, went to school a long time ago. But sung with such delicacy, sensuality and definition only after Mariah”, says singer and songwriter Jenni Mosello, author of hits by Luísa Sonza, IZA and Anitta. “Every singer tries to make a whistle note in the bathroom”, he jokes. “The whistle note, in fact, was an attempt to imitate soul singer Minnie Riperton at the end of the ballad ‘Lovin’ You’”, confesses Mariah. “My mother kept telling me that I would ruin my voice doing that”, he jokes. “But it worked.”
Performances in Brazil were a long-cherished dream, but never satisfactorily realized. She had only previously visited the country on tours to promote her albums. In 2010, she was an attraction at the Festa do Peão de Barretos – completely out of place with the rest of the cast, it must be said. Eight years ago, he would do shows in Brazil (read São Paulo), Buenos Aires and Chile, but he canceled the tour without giving explanations. “I’ve wanted to visit Brazil for a while. It was exciting to perform in front of such a large audience.” By big, I mean the biggest audience of his career. According to Pepeu Correa, CEO of 30e, who brought Mariah to São Paulo, the show at Allianz Parque brought together 50 thousand people.
Mariah, in fact, brought more of the charismatic side of a diva than the absurd demands that usually accompany artists who bear this title. At most, he asked for extreme care for Cha Cha and Mutley, jack russell terrier puppies, which he carries from top to bottom and with whom he talks in a baby voice (as he stated to “Vogue” magazine). Mission given, mission accomplished. The Fasano hotel, which hosted the singer, reserved personalized water bottles, small plates and bone-shaped pillows for the little animals for the Leo Cha Cha and the Pisces Mutley – yes, she makes a point of saying the dogs’ signs.
The success of her performances in Brazil are a taste of what she will show in the coming months. At the end of January 2025, Mariah will debut a new residency in Las Vegas, a city where she has performed regularly since 2009. This time, it will be to celebrate the 20th anniversary of “The Emancipation of Mimi,” considered the album that got her career back on track after the failure of “Glitter” in 2001. At the moment, filmmaker Lee Daniels (of the films “The Butler” and “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”) is working on producing a series about Mariah’s life. “We’re getting there,” she says. “But I don’t even know who’s going to play me yet.”
And, yes, there are plans for a new album. Mariah has been recording a few things here and there, but she didn’t want to give too many clues (she’s definitely not a fan of spoilers). “I can’t go into that right now, but I’m working with a lot of people and it’s been exciting.” Are there at least some special guests? “No. But it will be fantastic,” she concludes.
Back to the dilemma of the first paragraph. What does it mean to be a diva? “A diva is not made of unanimity, but of overcoming bad times. With each glorious return after so many announced deaths, a great star is confirmed. A certainty that goes from Billie Holiday to Madonna, passing through Mariah Carey and Cindy Lauper,” decrees DJ and producer Zé Pedro, who opened Mariah’s performance in São Paulo. Mariah Carey is all of this, a diva who has known success and failure, rose up and rightly savors every bit of the fame and respect she has today. From beyond the grave, poor Lyda Borelli but be poisoning herself in jealousy.
