Opera veteran Te Kanawa dismisses 'whiz bang' talent star Boyle
AFP
LONDON- New Zealand opera veteran Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has described Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle as a "whiz bang" star, whose spectacular success would ultimately fizzle.
In an interview with a British magazine, Te Kanawa said she was "insulted" to be asked about Boyle, who shot to international fame after a performance on the television contest "Britain's Got Talent".
Susan Boyle
"You insult me by even wanting to bring it into this conversation. I'm not interested," the dame added.
Boyle's soaring voice was discovered in April 2009 when she stunned judges on the "Britain's Got Talent" show with her performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables".
Although the single, unemployed 48-year-old ended runner-up in the competition, footage of her singing became a hit on the video-sharing website YouTube, with more than 100 million viewings.
The frumpy church volunteer's first album, "I Dreamed a Dream", was the best-selling debut in British chart history and also topped the US charts.
Te Kanawa meanwhile denied she was a diva.
"I'm just a human being with an opinion that I'm not allowed, at 66 years old, to select," she told the weekly.
She also denied suggestions she was retiring from the stage. "I don't wear short skirts any more, for obvious reasons," she said. "I don't do certain things any more -- for obvious reasons.
"That doesn't mean I've retired."
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