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Inva Mulla Tchako: The Voice of the Diva
LA Opera's site on
Inva no longer has her bio so here it is:
Biographical Information
The voice of the Diva is provided by opera singer Inva Mula-Tchako. The soprano Inva Mula-Tchako was born in Tirana, Albania in 1963 and studied singing and piano in her native city. In September 1987, she won first prize in the Singer of Albania competition. As prizewinner in the George Enescu Competition in Bucharest in September 1991, she found herself launched on an international career, carrying off numerous awards in the various competitions in which she has since taken part, notably the Grand Prix Madama Butterfly in Barcelona in May 1992 and the Concours Internationale de Voix d'Opera Placido Domingo in Paris in May 1993.
Inva Mula-Tchako has already performed in many in many different countries, including the United States, Italy, France, Japan, Austria, Norway, Spain, South Korea and Turkey. Her repertory includes Violetta in La Traviata, Mimi in La Boheme, Gilda in Rigoletto, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Leila in Les Pecheurs de Perles.
In addition to her stunning performance in the Fifth Element (Aria from Donnizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor and "The Diva Dance") Inva Mula-Tchako can be heard live on the "The First Placido Domingo International Voice Competition - Gala Concert (Sony 46 691). She performs an aria from Bellini's I Puritani ("Qui la voce sua soave") (3'52), and duets with Placido Domingo from Donnizetti's L'elisir d'amore ("Caro elisir, sei mio...Esultri pur la barbara") (8'07), Mozart's Don Giovanni ("La ci darem la mano") (3'27) and Verdi's La Traviata ("Libiamo, ne lietti calici") (3'15).
Movie Roles
"Falstaff" 2001 TV as Nannetta . "La Jolie Fille de Perth" 1998 TV as Catherine Glover. "The Fifth Element" 1997 as the singing voice of the Diva Plavalaguna, who was played by French actress Maïwenn Le Besco. During the movie, Inva sang an aria of Gaetano Donizetti's opera Lucia Di Lammermoor that Maïwenn is lip syncing to. It wasn't until I saw the credits I realized that Inva sang it. Ms. Tchako's voice is also used in the later part of the opera, known as The Diva Dance...it's the funky techno (and yes, it's doctored with a synth) part when Leeloo is bashing a bunch of Mangalores. It was Inva's heavenly voice singing the aria that made me feel like Bruce Willis's character who had just realized "I didn't know I liked Opera!"
Albums/CD spots
Sony SK 46 691 "The First Placido Domingo International Voice
Competition -- Gala Concert". Inva won an award at this 1993 Paris event. I bought it for $8 from:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000027C7/avsearch-musicasin-20/104-0432561-9899150
They have the soundtrack from The 5th Element. (snagged it for $5) A double CD set with Inva on it, of the opera La Rondine.
EMI CD CDS5 56338-2, composer: Puccini, music by London Symphony. And:
Shine: Operatica, Vol. 2.
The following albums are rumored to have Inva on them:
Sony SK 46 691 Vincenzo Bellini
"Puritanerna"
EMI 5 56338 2 "Svalan" by Puccini
