'Rude' Kiri Te Kanawa under fire

The gloves (long, velvet) are off. Ladies, take your corners - the battle between singers Hayley Westenra, 20, and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, 64, is heating up.

Yesterday, the New Zealand Herald reported Dame Kiri slamming the "pop opera" style of the young Christchurch singer: "Have you heard Hayley? She's not in my world, she's never been in it at all."

The diva wouldn't discuss the story - which also quoted her saying Westenra's ilk were "new fakes for the new generation" who had to sing with microphones - but it has incensed some in the local entertainment industry.

Ian Magan, Pacific Entertainment promoter, said Dame Kiri was "appallingly rude".

"All I can do is suggest that she's greatly out of touch and is showing extremely bad manners for one who purports to be a loyal New Zealander.

"I'm both a friend and an admirer of Hayley, and I think for a girl who started singing professionally at 14 and has now sold hundreds of thousands of records in the world's toughest market - well, you've gotta say the kid's got what it takes, plus some."

Magan, who has been in the industry for 33 years, promoting the likes of Pavarotti, Elton John and Ray Charles, says he admires both women's work.

"I see Kiri's job to encourage other artists, not do this sort of thing. She makes comments about the songs Hayley sings? Well she sings all those great Broadway hits, just like Hayley does. A third of their repertoire is probably quite similar.

"This business that she has to have a microphone? Well, Miss Te Kanawa has to be reminded that [outdoors] so does she."

Broadcaster Paul Holmes, who interviewed Dame Kiri recently and found her the "softest and most relaxed" he's ever encountered, is a fan of both singers.

"I think Kiri is being a little hard on Hayley. But I can see where she is coming from. Across Europe, the opera houses of North America and Asia, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is god.

"But Hayley is not a five-minute wonder. She has come from nowhere and worked really hard and done her best to advance her career and has had tremendous success.

"It's a little bit like the giant whacking the small person." Holmes says Dame Kiri "shouldn't persist with this expression of view ... because Dame Kiri is loved by us - but so is Hayley."

The pair go head to head in Auckland today. Westenra appears with Dave Dobbyn at the Villa Maria Estate and Dame Kiri headlines the weather-postponed Starlight Symphony in the Auckland Domain.

- © Fairfax NZ News