An opera by Giuseppe Verdi, or a feminine given name of Arabic or African origin meaning 'returning' or 'visitor.'
As an opera title, possibly from Arabic 'ʿā'ida' meaning 'she who returns.' Verdi's 1871 opera was commissioned for the opening of the Suez Canal and set in ancient Egypt.
Verdi's 'Aida' was written for the Cairo Opera House to celebrate the Suez Canal opening, making it one of the few operas specifically commissioned to celebrate a major engineering achievement.
Named after Verdi's 1871 opera character, Aida perpetuates the trope of the tragic, self-sacrificing woman of color. The opera romanticizes her servitude and ultimate death as noble.
When referencing the work, acknowledge it as a product of 19th-century colonialism and orientalism rather than celebrating its narrative uncritically.
["the opera Aida (with historical context)","the character Aida (note: fictional trope)"]
The historical Aida story erases the agency of African and Middle Eastern women; modern retellings sometimes reclaim her as a figure of resistance.
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