Vocalist.org archive


From:  Sheila Graham <sheila@s...>
Sheila Graham <sheila@s...>
Date:  Fri Jan 12, 2001  4:17 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] singing and health


While never exactly a stick insect, Caballe, in her youth, was not
particularly large - check out her early publicity photos (airbrushing
techniques were not that good in those days). On the more general
subject of her health, in an interview a few years ago she mentioned
that she had been living with a brain tumour for some time.

Fairly persistent rumour has it that Callas grew a tapeworm to lose
weight - I believe swallowing tapeworm eggs was a not uncommon way of
losing weight in Europe in the 50s, though obviously it did not meet
with medical approval. I don't know whether this rumour was ever proved
one way or the other.

Hope nobody's reading this while they're eating.

Regards, Sheila

In message <42.f40b5b7.278fcfe0@a...>, 42.f40b5b7.278fcfe0@a...>, >
> despite the silly delivery of my post, i was quite serious about the
>message. i suspect that ms. caballe's statement is mostly geared towards
>giving herself an excuse not to lose weight or to do anything else that would
>benefit her health. to my knowledge, she has never been thin enough to have
>made much of a comparison.
>
> i don't mean to pick on ms. caballe as i have heard this same idea put
>forth by other singers of similar weight. i think there is also a
>superstition about losing weight and worrying about losing one's singing
>ability at the same time. i wonder if this idea was fostered by callas'
>weight loss and the perception by some that she lost the 'glory of her early
>bloom'. i wonder if she had some kind of eating disorder.
>
>mike
>
>
>
>

--
Sheila Graham

emusic.com