My first contact with Diva took place in the early 2000s, when I was attending the first two-year period of high school: I already knew Eurythmics, but Annie’s solo career was still quite unknown to me (except for Bare).

 

A friend of mine, who was aware of my passion, borrowed me her mum’s copy of Medusa: Live in Central Park to fill the gap… and so I got to know Diva through the live versions recorded in New York!

 

This experience made me hurry to the nearest record shop to purchase the CD, and I clearly remember my delight when I first played it: I really can’t describe with proper words how I felt hearing the original arrangements of “Why” and the other songs.

 

The next step was buying Totally Diva, and you can imagine my surprise as an Italian when I saw a masked La Lennoxa exploring Venice dressed in feathers!

 

Diva is Annie’s masterpiece, the work that proved to the world she was an amazing songwriter “on her own” too; all the tracks are classics, but if I had to choose one, I think it would be “Step by Step”. I also love to bits “Remember”, the instrumental interlude between the “Cold” and “Primitive” videos on Totally Diva: I know it may sound a bit awkward from the guy who writes pieces about Annie’s lyrics, but that’s it! 🙂

 

In the end, what can I say?

 

Happy 20th Birthday, Diva. Oh, and thank you Annie, of course.

 

Michele Aversa