Fame and fortune are not always and categorically sign of talent. Fame and fortune are a lucky dice in the hands of fortunate artists who gambled with tenacity, ambitions, determination, know-how, and were well served, well packaged, well promoted and shrewd enough to break thru...There are so many outstanding artists in the world who will audition once, and exist from backstage door, never to hear from them again. They become a trembling shadow in the street of rejection, fake hopes and disappointment. Yet, if one more chance was given to them, those unlucky artists would have shined brighter than all the damned lights of Times Square. C'est la vie. I am  interested in exploring the fabric of the soul of artists, that fabric that creates the character, the personality and the talent, NOT in what made them famous. New York's artists are the fertile mosaic for the seeds of success and failure in the arts and showbiz. Almost 99% of all interviews with celebrities and stars evolve and rotate around gossips, rumors, grapevine hot talks, earning power, sex life and vain extravaganza of celebrities, stars and newsmakers. Not even once, an interviewer cared to explore the depth of the inner world of a cabaret or Jazz singer. And this is alarming. On these pages, I am going to sail into the ocean of the mind, the heart and emotions of my guests. A bouquet of outstanding singers from New York. A lovely and colorful choice of Divas with diverse and complex visions of their world, their crafts, their music, their lyrics, the light and the shadow that inhabit and create their musical world. Reading the  success story of a star is half of the story. Discovering  what a star IS behind the mic, beyond the glittering curtains, on and off stage is the other half of the story. And in some instances, it IS the only story. Intentionally, I crafted an identical set of questions, (as a part of  a brief interview with outstanding Jazz and cabaret singers in New York) , and  invited our Divas to respond to. None of them knew up front, that all of them got the same questions. This innocently Machiavellic approach will enable us to compare their answers, and find out -as simple as possible- the similarities and differences of the making of a diva in New York. Some of the questions I asked, had nothing to do with Jazz, cabaret or music. And this disassociation with the nature of their profession was intentional. I wanted to know more about the "human being" in them, in their words, in their visions, in their priorities, needs, understanding of the world that surround them, even in the unexpected passages of their ups and downs, fortune and lack of. Some of their answers were honest, candid, unpolished, and most certainly revealing. Those divas are household names. They are famous and doing extremely well. Among them, are enormously talented singers who are on their way to stardom, despite the inexistence of records deals and engagements in major productions. It is going to be fun! Continues on page 2