The age of the Black diva - Afro-American opera singers

Ebony, August, 1991

Swathed dramatically in a flowing robe of red, white and blue - the colors of the flag of France - internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Jessye Norman stands in the open air beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and delivers a stirring rendition of La Marseillaise, the French national anthem, that draws a chorus of "bravos!"

It is Bastille Day (the Independence Day of France), and thousands of French men, women and children are gathered at the base of one of the country's most famous monuments to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Republic. That the chauvinistic French would ask Norman, who hails from Augusta, Ga., to do the honor of presenting their national anthem on such a patriotic occasion is a testament to the Black American diva's stature as one of the most beloved personas in the vast universe inhabited by globe-trotting opera stars.

Indeed, Norman stands at the very top of the field - a marquee-enhancing superstar whose presence can guarantee a full house in any of the great music palaces, including the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, the Glyndebourne Opera in London and La Scala in Milan. But what is surprising to casual observers is that Norman is not the lone Black woman drawing huge crowds and thunderous ovations in the elite opera world. Hers may be one of the most immediately recognizable names among the growing legion of successors to Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price, but she has many contemporaries who are executing the big roles, filling the big theaters, and rightfully laying claim to the title "diva."

Currently, about 20 Black American women are recognized throughout the world as being among the finest classical singers of the day. Not only are well-established superstars such as Grace Bumbry and Shirley Verrett still maintaining limited recital schedules, but they are joined in the classical realm by a corps of young talents who have burst upon the scene with a combination of poise, presence and unique voices. This new generation of stars is transforming the once monochromatic opera world into a brilliant mosaic. Their engaging and invigorating performances are breathing new life into the music, imbuing it with what some have described as a "rich, velvety sound that is indescribably warm."

No one in classical music would dare to insinuate that Black singers are bringing "soul" to opera, but at the risk of delving into the muddy and controversial waters of ethnic singing, some have suggested that the preponderance of Black voices has brought what music writer Robert Rushmore, author of The Singing Voice, has called "an exciting explosion of fresh, new talent and a special sound."

As Rosalyn M. Story, author of And So I Sing: African-American Divas of Opera and Concert, states, "Today, the Black diva flourishes in a world that excluded her for generations."

Besides Norman, the members of this impressive sorority include Harolyn Blackwell, Kathleen Battle, Barbara Hendricks, Leona Mitchell, Wilhelminia Fernandez, Marvis Martin, Clamma Dale, Isola Jones, Carmen Balthrop, Cynthia Clarey, Gwendolyn Bradley, Florence Quivar and Roberta Alexander.

As a group, they are gifted, though vastly different in vocal styles, ranging from shimmering, lyric coloraturas such as Blackwell, Battle and Hendricks to the rich, stentorian mezzos such as Norman and Dale.

All are blessed with exceptional singing and acting abilities - attributable, in many instances, to a grounding in the dramatic conventions of African-American church music. The Black church, in fact, has played an integral part on the grooming of a great many Black opera stars. From Marian Anderson on, Black singers have developed stage presence and performance style within the Black church. "If there have been Black classical singers who grew up with no church affiliation and no early experience singing in a church choir, they are the exceptions to the rule," states Rosalyn Story.

"Without the church experience, I don't know that I would have been able to sing in front of the public," says Leona Mitchell, who got her start singing in a family gospel group.

Grace Bumbry has called the church "the rock that we depended on."

Similarly, the current divas say they are equally indebted to Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price.

Though it has been more than 50 years since Anderson quietly carved out her place in history with her famous Easter concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington - a venue made available when the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to allow her to perform in the then-segregated Constitution Hall - she remains the standard bearer for grace and elegance among Black singers, and many White singers as well. And it was Price, who made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1961 (Anderson broke the Met's color barrier six years earlier), whose many successes in the famed opera house helped usher in the current era of booming Black talent. Today, 14 percent of the singers hired by the Met are Black, according to a 1990 study in Ovation magazine.