SPOTLIGHT
MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH SONGSTRESSES
Michael O’Hara with Kaushiki Chakraborty. Image courtesy: MICHAEL O’HARA.
By MICHAEL O’HARA
She struts down the streets of New York, with a giant mane of yellow, teased hair. She’s dressed in fishnet stockings, black high heels, black leather mini skirt, and a blue denim jacket.
It’s 1985. I am a four-year-old boy living in Scarborough, Ontario, and I have just been smitten by my first musical love – Tina Turner – in her video for What’s Love Got To Do With It.
It was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with women in music.
I am a musical sponge – I am fascinated by and devour all different types of the form. Country, Broadway, Soul, Indian classical, etc. I am not gender-biased when it comes to what artistes I listen to, but when I look at the list of artistes that have been my soul companions on this beautiful musical journey, I have to proudly admit that many of them are women.
What is it about the music and performances of those of the feminine persuasion that attracts me?
I’ve thought about that for days now – and I still can’t quite find the answer.
I think it has to do with the ability to manifest both strength and vulnerability at the same time. I find that absolutely fascinating. Do yourself a favour and watch Judy Garland singing Ol Man River on YouTube. It is like watching a giant wave roll towards the shore, and then meekly retreating back to the ocean – and it all happens in a single breath.
The same can be said of my love of the Indian classical vocalist, Kaushiki Chakraborty. In the famous thumri Yaad Piya Ki Aaye, Kaushiki will break your heart as she sounds like a lover hanging by a thread, longing for the return of her beloved’s touch. It is the Indian classical equivalent of Judy Garland’s The Man That Got Away. But if your musical safari takes you to the jungles of a khayal performance by Kaushiki – you will find a very different vocalist, especially in the fast taans she is able to rip into, like a Bengal tigress hunting down and devouring her prey.
While writing this, I began to think I may have an undiagnosed case of a new disease – one I shall call diva-itis. Symptoms include being smitten by sequins, felled by feathers, and most of all, having exceptional taste in music.
To the divas I have met, to the divas I am yet to meet – you will always have a fan in me.
DIVA DIARIES: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC LEGENDS
A very young Michael O’Hara with Liza Minnelli. Image courtesy: MICHAEL O’HARA.
By MICHAEL O’HARA
Diana Ross. I’ve loved Diana Ross since I was a kid, and have been fortunate enough to have seen her many times over the years. In the summer of 2019 she came to the Sony Centre in Toronto – and I had a great seat. Diana doesn’t mind fans taking pictures, so I got a lot of great shots that night. She definitely noticed me – making eye contact a few times, and even speaking to me! Thrilling.
Chita Rivera. A Broadway legend, Chita came to Toronto with a touring production of Kiss of the Spiderwoman in the mid-90s. I was a Grade 9 musical theatre student at the time, and the production had really cheap student tickets. I went three times in the space of a week. Chita couldn’t have been sweeter in our encounters at the stage door. I had found out that earlier in her career she had used the stage name Chita O’Hara. When I mentioned this, Chita stopped what she was doing, looked at me and said, “How the hell do you know that?!”
Liza Minnelli. Liza has been around in my life for so long, I basically think of her as Aunt Liza. I’ve seen her a good 20+ times and I’ve had some amazing encounters with her. One encounter that sticks out in my mind happened in 2009, at Roy Thomson Hall. I had a front row seat, smack dab in the centre. By that point, I had seen her many times over the years – so there may have been some hint of recognition from her. Before her encore, she bent down to me, took my hand and said “What should I sing?” I said “Liza, do I’ll Be Seeing You”. She did. It was like I had been knighted by the Queen.
Kaushiki Chakraborty After a Toronto recital in 2015, I was invited to a group lunch with Kaushiki the following day. Well, as you can imagine, I was absolutely thrilled and so thankful to be there. I had tried not to disturb her, and had already got two pictures with her – one I had asked for, and one that someone had asked for on my behalf. I was worried that they hadn’t turned out very well as the light was odd in the restaurant. Poking the bear, I asked Kaushiki, “Do you mind if I get one more picture with you? I promise I won’t ask you again.” She looked at me, and quite flatly said, “Well, I sincerely hope that you keep your promise.” Zinged by an Indian classical diva – not quite the glow of knighthood that I felt from Liza, but a story to add to my collection of diva anecdotes, nonetheless.
• Michael O’Hara is a Toronto-based commercial agent with Noble Caplan Abrams, a talent management company. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Raag-Mala Music Society of Toronto.