There'll be no posing in People with sweetie and baby
Opera and jazz singer
Ada de Luque, based in Miami, discusses (in
this newspaper, but the text is unavailable online) the difficulties of the trade: "I once asked the great
Renata Tebaldi why she didn't sing anymore. Her reply was, 'I started living when I stopped singing.' Though singing is gratifying, it involves sacrifice. You have to take care of your instrument, which means keeping away from people with colds. Sometimes you are afraid to shake hands. Keep away from dairy products that can be congestive. You can't shout. There are many restrictions."
The piece continues: "Speaking of restrictions, de Luque is protective of her private life.
"While she is open about being a lesbian, she declines to share any other personal details, except to say that she is happy. She says she understands why many singers choose not to speak about being gay or lesbian.
"'You lose a certain percentage of the audience,' she says matter-of-factly. 'And the audience that remains looks at you in a different manner. When you are an opera singer, you are acting a role, and you want the audience to believe that.'"