Diva house

Diva house
Stylistic origins	House – Soul – Disco – Gospel – Show-Tunes
Cultural origins	Gay culture
Typical instruments	sampler – sequencer – synthesiser – guest singer
Mainstream popularity	gay clubs in most major cities, such as San Francisco, New York, Manchester, London, Sydney
Derivative forms	Hardbag, deep house
Other topics
camp (style) – Diva – gay culture – computer music – record labels – gay icon – circuit party – gay anthem – gay pride

Diva house or Handbag house is an anthemic sub-genre of house music that became most popular in gay clubs during the nineties decade. It is known for booming female vocals, sometimes sampled from other recordings. Such samples come from 1970s soul, disco, gospel recordings and even show tunes sung by people like Bette Midler and other gay icons. This bombastic genre can include songs performed by dance specialists (see artists) as well as club remixes of pop songs by soul singers like Mariah Carey, Patti LaBelle, and Whitney Houston.^[1]

The name "handbag house" comes from groups of female club-goers who dance around a pile of their handbags.^[2]

Artists

• Adeva
• Amanda Wilson
• Amber
• Angie Brown
• Ann Saunderson
• Barbara Tucker
• Bizarre Inc
• Black Box
• Blaze
• Carol Jiani
• C+C Music Factory
• CeCe Peniston
• Crystal Waters
• Deborah Cooper
• Deborah Cox
• Dina Carroll
• Donna Allen
• Evelyn Thomas
• Gloria Gaynor
• Hannah Jones
• Heather Small
• Inner City
• Jeanie Tracy
• Jocelyn Brown
• Joi Cardwell
• Judy Cheeks
• Kathy Brown
• Kim English
• Kristine W
• Kym Mazelle
• La Bouche
• Loleatta Holloway
• Lonnie Gordon
• M People
• Mariah Carey
• Martha Wash
• Maya Simantov
• Melanie Williams
• Offer Nissim
• Real McCoy
• Robin S.
• Rosie Gaines
• RuPaul
• Sabrina Johnston
• Sabrynaah Pope
• Shèna
• Snap!
• Suzanne Palmer
• Taylor Dayne
• Thea Austin
• Thelma Houston
• Ultra Naté
• Vernessa Mitchell
• Viola Wills
• Xaviera Gold
• Zelma Davis

Examples

• "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" (Stonebridge Mix) – Donna Giles
• "Another Star" – Kathy Sledge
• "Beautiful People" – Barbara Tucker
• "Caught in the Middle" – Juliet Roberts
• "Cuando" – Offer Nissim featuring Maya Simantov
• "Don't Lose the Magic" – Shawn Christopher
• "Everybody, Everybody" – Black Box
• "Feel What You Want (Our Tribe Vocal)" – Kristine W
• "Feelin' Love" – Soulsearcher featuring Donna Allen
• "Going Round" – D'Bora
• "I Don't Know Anybody Else" – Black Box
• "I Thank You" – Adeva
• "I'm Gonna Get You" – Bizarre Inc
• "I'm In Love" – Offer Nissim featuring Maya Simantov
• "Keep Love Together" – Love to Infinity featuring Kelly Llorenna
• "Let The Music Lift You Up" – Loveland featuring Rachel McFarlane
• "Look Ahead" – Danny Tenaglia featuring Carole Sylvan
• "Nightlights" – Polyphonics featuring Hasina Sheik
• "Nitelife" – Kim English
• "Over You" – Warren Clarke featuring Kathy Brown
• "Reach" – Judy Cheeks
• "Satisfy My Love" – Sabrina Johnston
• "Show Me Love" – Robin S
• "Superman" – Offer Nissim featuring Maya Simantov
• "Sweetest Day Of May" – Joe T. Vannelli Project
• "To Be In Love" – Masters at Work featuring India
• "What Hope Have I" – Sphinx featuring Sabrina Johnston
• "Where Love Lives" – Alison Limerick
• "Wish I Didn't Miss You (Hex Hector Vocal)" – Angie Stone
• "Your Loving Arms" – Billie Ray Martin

See also

• Diva
• Camp (style)
• Gay club
• Gay anthem
• Gay icons

References

1. ^ (2000) "Rave Culture", ISBN 0968572103, 9780968572108, p.89: "DIVA HOUSE A form of house music popular in gay clubs. Diva house is dramatic, campy house music built around operatic vocal samples."
2. ^ "handbag [e-mail]". Everything2.com. 2001-12-14. http://everything2.com/title/handbag%2520house. Retrieved 2011-02-10.