Dalida
Encyclopedia
Dalida born with Italian
name of Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, was a world-famous singer and actress born in Egypt with Italian origins but naturalised French with the name Yolanda Gigliotti. She spent her early years in Egypt amongst the Italian Egyptian
community, but she lived most of her adult life in France. She received 55 gold records and was the first singer to receive a diamond disc. Dalida performed and recorded in more than 10 languages including: French, Arabic, Italian, Greek, German, English, Japanese, Hebrew, Dutch and Spanish.
Renowned for the changes she wrought to the French and global music industry with her powerful and colourful performances, she is today still remembered by aficionados throughout the world. A 30-year career (she debuted in 1956 and recorded her last album in 1986, a few months before her death) and her death led to an iconic image as a tragic diva
and renowned singer.
origin, from Calabria
, Italy, but were living in Egypt, where Dalida’s father, Pietro Gigliotti, was first violinist (primo violino) at the Cairo Opera House
. She was the middle child between two brothers, Orlando and Bruno (who would later in Dalida's career change his name to Orlando like his brother and become her manager). Dalida’s early life was spent in the district of Shoubra
, where she attended the Scuola Tecnica Commerciale Maria Ausiliatrice, an Italian Catholic school.
In 1950, Dalida participated in the Miss Ondine beauty pageant and won the title, and shortly after began working as a model for Donna, a Cairo
-based fashion house
. In 1954, at the age of 20, Dalida competed in and won the Miss Egypt
pageant, and was crowned Miss Egypt. It was then that she was spotted by French director Marc de Gastyne and, much to the reluctance of her parents, she moved to Paris on Christmas Eve of the same year with the intention of pursuing a career in motion pictures. It was about this time she adopted the name Dalila, which was shortly thereafter changed to the more familiar Dalida.
Dalida collected 19 number one hit singles to her name in four languages (French, Italian, German, and Arabic) and has a long list of top 10, and top 20 hits in French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Arabic, and accumulated myriad top selling singles and albums largely, in France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Greece, Canada, Russia, Japan, and Israel, spanning over forty years. Four of Dalida's English language recordings ("Alabama Song", "Money Money", "Let Me Dance Tonight", and "Kalimba de Luna
"), gained moderate success primarily in France and Germany, without being widely distributed in the UK and US markets. Worldwide sales of her music are estimated at over 130 million, establishing her as one of the most noteworthy multi-lingual recording artists of the 20th century.
Dalida's mother tongue was Italian
. She learned Egyptian Arabic
and French
growing up in Cairo, and improved her French after establishing herself in Paris in 1954. She later achieved command of the English language as well as reasonable conversational skills in German and Spanish. Dalida also had the aptitude of greeting her fans in basic Japanese. She was considered as a pop and music icon in Japan and her concerts there were met with almost unprecedented enthusiasm. Once during a concert in Japan, Dalida felt ill and couldn't continue to perform. The organisers expected an enraged reaction due to the cancellation of the concert but when Dalida came onstage and explained to her fans that she couldn't perform, she was met with great applause and her name echoed everywhere. She promised to hold the concert again, a promise which she soon fulfilled.
act on the Champs Élysées, which proved successful. Performing the song "Étrangère au Paradis" in a variety show at Bruno Coquatrix
’ recently opened Paris Olympia
theatre, Dalida was introduced to Lucien Morisse and Eddie Barclay
, who played a considerable part in launching the starlet’s career. Morisse was artistic producer of the popular Radio Europe 1
, and Barclay an established record producer. After signing a recording contract with Barclay, Dalida’s debut single "Madona" was promoted heavily by Morisse, and was a moderate success. However, the release of "Bambino" in 1956 would prove to be even more triumphant – it spent 46 weeks in the French top ten and remains one of the biggest-selling singles in French history, and for its sales (which exceeded 300,000 copies) Dalida was awarded her first gold disc, presented on 17 September 1957. The song bambino
echoed everywhere in France and was a success even beyond the French frontiers. In the same year, she would also support Charles Aznavour
at The Olympia
. The follow-up single to "Bambino", the exotic-sounding and mesmerizing "Gondolier
", was released in the Christmas on 1957, was also a great success, as were other early releases such as "Come Prima
(Tu Me Donnes)", "Ciao Ciao Bambina", and a cover of The Drifters
’ "Save the Last Dance For Me", "Garde-Moi la Dernière Danse". These classical songs mark the first phase of Dalida's album and maintain their charm even today.
Dalida toured extensively from 1958 through the early 1960s, playing dates in France, Egypt, Italy, and the United States. Her tours of Egypt, and Italy spread her fame outside of France and Dalida soon became well-known throughout Europe. However, she waited too long before entering America's music scene and though great names of the American music industry wanted to introduce her to the United States, she refused commenting that "I took too long to start here".
However some of her English songs and her performance at the Carnegie Hall were much applauded.
In 1961, Dalida performed a month of shows at the Olympia, with each selling out completely. Shortly afterwards Dalida embarked upon a tour of Hong Kong and Vietnam. Throughout the 1960s Dalida would frequently perform sell-out shows at The Olympia, and international dates became more frequent. In December 1968, she was awarded the Médaille de la Présidence de la République by General Charles de Gaulle
, the only person from the music industry to have received this medal.
The early 1970s became a transitional period for the singer, highlighted by some of her most successful singles. After gaining a keen interest in academia in the mid-1960s she chose to sing songs with more profound lyrics. She tried to probe into her inner-self and declared that she would sing only those songs which have a meaning for her. Bruno Coquatrix was dubious about Dalida’s career evolution, and was hesitant to book her for a series of performances in 1971. Dalida hired the hall herself, and her show was met with an impressive public response, thus forcing the world to acknowledge that a new and more powerful performer had emerged in Dalida. In 1973, a French version of the Italian song "Paroles Paroles", originally performed by Mina
, was recorded by Dalida and her close friend Alain Delon
. The song became a big hit and was the number one single in France and Japan. It was played consistently on French radios, at the request of listeners. The follow-up, "Il Venait d’Avoir Dix-Huit Ans", reached number one in nine countries, and sold three and a half million copies in Germany. The way Dalida interpreted the song left people amazed."Gigi l’Amoroso", released in 1974, would actually perform better in the charts than its predecessor, reaching number one in 12 countries. A success which many other singers couldn't achieve. Touring would follow this period of unprecedented sales, with Dalida performing in Japan, Canada and Germany. In February 1975, French music critics presented the singer with the prestigious Prix de l'Académie du Disque Français.
single, "J’attendrai". Around the same time, the popularity of the variety show in France was soaring, and Dalida made many television appearances during this period, not only in France but across Europe. In 1978, she recorded "Salma ya Salama", based on a traditional Egyptian folk song, which due to its chart success was translated from Arabic into French, Italian, and German. It was amongst the first Ethnic fusion hits in the world. Part of the lyrics are based on an Egyptian folk song about homesickness and celebrating the Egyptian nation.
This and other songs in Arabic by Dalida (such as "Helwa ya Baladi", and "Ahsan Nass") became extremely popular in Egypt, making Dalida one of the first singers to break through the barrier separating Arab and Western musics. She was received in Egypt like a queen with the Egyptian President himself coming at the airport to welcome her. Egyptians were soon wooed by her beauty, voice, charm, determination and wonderful songs and interpretations.
Her close friend Fairouz was the other major artist to be crossing the boundaries from East to West, with her immense success throughout Europe, North and South America, and Australia.
The success of "Salma ya Salama" was followed by the first French medley
single, "Génération ‘78", a disco-fused combination of her biggest hit singles to date. It also became the first French single to be accompanied by a video clip. During this disco period, Dalida would earn a gay audience, a following which is still maintained today. In November, Dalida performed a Broadway-themed show at Carnegie Hall
in New York, choreographed by Lester Wilson
, who created the dance routines for John Travolta
in the previous year’s cinema smash Saturday Night Fever
. Her performance was highly praised by critics and audiences alike. Two years later, following the success of "Monday Tuesday... Laissez-Moi Danser" in the summer of 1979, she would replicate the show at the Palais des Sports
, and each show sold-out, encouraging the singer to embark on a national tour which lasted until the autumn. In the same year, the lengthy "Gigi in Paradisco", a follow-up to the earlier "Gigi l’Amoroso", was released. Though it was not as popular as its predecessor, it was highly acclaimed and the new generation was soon dancing on Dalida disco tunes. The way Dalida shifted from a classical performer to a grave performer singing songs full of emotion (such as "Avec le temps", "Parlez-moi de lui" and "Darla dirladada", amongst others), to a Diva and pop star like figure making the stage glow with her hit dance numbers and colourful costumes and finally to a grief-stricken singer singing famous songs which announce her death (particularly songs such as "Mourir sur Scene", "Bravo" and "Téléphonez-moi"), Dalida showed that she was a strong-willed woman shifting with time and fashion. Her personal problems and troubling relationships, however, trapped her in the jaws of sadness leading to her suicide.
1981 marked the release of "Rio do Brasil", and several dates were played at The Olympia, emulating her successful 1980 tour. On the night of her first performance she became the first singer in the world to be awarded with a diamond disc, in recognition of her record sales which at that point in her career had exceeded 86 million. She was therefore much ahead of American singer Madonna since she was the first person to receive this success, thus paving the way for women to deliver powerful performances. Dalida spent much of 1982 and 1984 on tour, releasing the album "Les P'tits Mots" in 1983 which featured hit singles "Lucas" and "Mourir Sur Scène". The album "Dali" was released in 1984, and was accompanied by the release of several singles, including "Soleil", "Pour te dire je t’aime", a cover of Stevie Wonder
’s "I Just Called to Say I Love You", and "Kalimba de Luna", originally recorded by Tony Esposito
. All three achieved moderate chart success, and her next 1986 album, "Le visage de l'amour", would become her last album of completely new recordings (except the final song being "Mourir sur scène").
Other hit performances of Dalida include "The Lambeth Walk"; both in English and in French. The song "Je suis malade" written by Serge Lama and made into a success by Dalida reflects the singer's personal torments and unhappiness. The emotions with which she sang the song is unmatched even today. At the peak of her success, an obsessed fan of her tried to kidnap her in Canada by using a hammer. Fortunately enough, he didn't succeed.
Undaunted, she continued to deliver success after success: namely "Ensemble", "Ne lui dis pas", "La Valse des vacances", a cover version of Édith Piaf's "La vie en rose"
, "Born to sing"/"Mourir sur scène", amongst others.
Dalida underwent two major ophthalmic
operations in 1985, forcing her to put her career on hiatus. The fear of her childhood days return as she again had to operate her eyes. The stage lights started to trouble her. In 1986, she would play the role of a young grandmother in the Youssef Chahine
film "Le Sixième Jour", for which she received favourable critical response. Her last live performance, took place in Ankara
, Turkey, in 1987.
. Two of her lovers, Luigi Tenco
and Richard Chanfray
, also took their own lives.
s, leaving a suicide note
"La vie m'est insupportable... Pardonnez-moi" which reads "Life has become unbearable for me... Forgive me."
Dalida was buried in the famous Montmartre Cemetery
(French: Cimetière de Montmartre), Paris, and a life-size statue of her was erected outside her tomb.
, the aim of which was to reveal the personalities who had the greatest impact on French society. Dalida polled second, behind Général de Gaulle
.
In 1997, the corner of the rues Girardon and Abreuvoir in the Butte Montmartre, Paris, was inaugurated as Place Dalida and a life-size bust to her memory was erected. In 1999, a 3-CD box-set compiling her greatest hits was released. In 2000, Dalida's longtime friend Charles Aznavour
recorded the hit "De la scène à la Seine", a joyful song of her life in France, and in 2002, the French government honoured her memory with a postage stamp
done in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of her death. In the same year, Universal Music Group
released Dalida's early album releases in special-edition packaging, with all of the tracks digitally remastered. Her output has also been the subject of various remix albums. She sold a total of 130 million records from 1956 to 2006. Since her death, many of Dalida's hits have been remixed to modern techno
and dance
beats, topping the charts in various countries to this day.
In 1999 the play "Solitudini – Luigi Tenco e Dalida", written and directed by Maurizio Valtieri, was performed in Rome.
In 2005, her life was documented in the two-part TV film Dalida, in the role of Dalida was Sabrina Ferilli
.
From 11 May to September 2007, the Paris City Hall commemorated the 20th anniversary of Dalida’s death with an exhibition of her outfits and previously unreleased photographs.
beauty pageant and crowned Miss Egypt 1954. 1962: Calabrian
Citizen of Honour. 1968: Godmother of Montmartre
street urchins. 1977: Egyptian Medal of Honour 1984: Dalida declined the French honour Légion d'honneur
award, the highest order of France, marking the first time she ever declined an honour.
Medals 1968: Medal of the City of Paris. 1968: the French President's Medal (Médaille de la Présidence de la République) awarded by President of the French Republic Général de Gaulle on 5 December 1968, representing the only time in history an artist has ever been presented with this honour by the President of France to date. 1968: Ruby Cross (Croix de Vermeil) (Commander of Arts, Sciences and Letters). 1981: Dalida was awarded a medal by then-French Minister of Defence
Charles Hernu
.
Foreign Honours City of Graulhet Medal of Honour, 1980 Belgian Medal of Honour, 1984 Canadian medal for talent and wisdom, 1985
minted by The French Mint
, Monnaie de Paris
, issued in gold, bronze and silver, bearing her effigy. 1988: Dalida was posthumously honoured by the "International Star Registry
" (US), with the issuance of a diploma, awarded three years after her death. 1997: Dalida was posthumously honoured by the City of Paris with a square named in her memory, named "Dalida Square", located at the angle of rues Girardon and Abreuvoirs, in the 18th arrondissement (borough
) of Paris, France. 1997: Dalida became one of only three women in France to have a statue
erected to her, along with Joan of Arc
and Sarah Bernhardt
. 1998: Dalida was posthumously honoured in Egypt in a tribute ceremony which took place on 27 October in Cairo and the "Dalida Prize" was awarded in her honour. 2001: Dalida was posthumously honoured by the French government with a second stamp bearing her likeness which was released by La Poste
, the French postal service, as part of the Song Artists series. 10,157,601 copies were sold. 2003: Awarded prize for "Greatest Singer of the Century" in France, based on three criteria: numbers of album and single sales, number of radio airplays and chart positions. Dalida was placed third after Madonna
and Céline Dion
. In 2003 Dalida remained the number one favourite artist in France.
, Lebanon in May 2004. In 2005, the play "Dalida, à quoi bon vivre au mois de mai ?", written by Joseph Agostini and Caroline Sourrisseau, was performed at the Ateliers Théâtre in Montmartre.
Biographies
Discography
Filmography
General
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
name of Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, was a world-famous singer and actress born in Egypt with Italian origins but naturalised French with the name Yolanda Gigliotti. She spent her early years in Egypt amongst the Italian Egyptian
Italian Egyptian
Italians in Egypt, also referred to as Italian Egyptians, are a community with a history that goes back to Roman times.-History:The last Queen of ancient Egypt married the Roman Mark Antony bringing her country as "dowry", and since then Egypt was part of the Roman Empire for seven centuries...
community, but she lived most of her adult life in France. She received 55 gold records and was the first singer to receive a diamond disc. Dalida performed and recorded in more than 10 languages including: French, Arabic, Italian, Greek, German, English, Japanese, Hebrew, Dutch and Spanish.
Renowned for the changes she wrought to the French and global music industry with her powerful and colourful performances, she is today still remembered by aficionados throughout the world. A 30-year career (she debuted in 1956 and recorded her last album in 1986, a few months before her death) and her death led to an iconic image as a tragic diva
Diva
A diva is a celebrated female singer. The term is used to describe a woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, and, by extension, in theatre, cinema and popular music. The meaning of diva is closely related to that of "prima donna"....
and renowned singer.
Early life and beginnings
Yolanda Christina Gigliotti was born in Shubra, Cairo, Egypt. Her family was of ItalianItalian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
origin, from Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, Italy, but were living in Egypt, where Dalida’s father, Pietro Gigliotti, was first violinist (primo violino) at the Cairo Opera House
Khedivial Opera House
The Khedivial Opera House or Royal Opera House was the original opera house in Cairo, Egypt. It was dedicated on November 1, 1869 and burned down on October 28, 1971....
. She was the middle child between two brothers, Orlando and Bruno (who would later in Dalida's career change his name to Orlando like his brother and become her manager). Dalida’s early life was spent in the district of Shoubra
Shobra (administrative region)
Shobra is an administrative region and forms a relatively small area that represents about one quarter of the district with the same name in Cairo, Egypt....
, where she attended the Scuola Tecnica Commerciale Maria Ausiliatrice, an Italian Catholic school.
In 1950, Dalida participated in the Miss Ondine beauty pageant and won the title, and shortly after began working as a model for Donna, a Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
-based fashion house
Fashion House
Fashion House is an American telenovela that aired at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT Monday through Saturday on MyNetworkTV stations. The series premiered on September 5, 2006 and concluded on December 5, 2006...
. In 1954, at the age of 20, Dalida competed in and won the Miss Egypt
Miss Egypt
Miss Egypt, is an Egyptian beauty pageant that qualifies delegates to international beauty contests. The first Miss Egypt contest was held in 1929. The only winner that held the title of Miss World was Antigone Costanda in 1954. The pageant has been sponsored by the hair care company, Pantene...
pageant, and was crowned Miss Egypt. It was then that she was spotted by French director Marc de Gastyne and, much to the reluctance of her parents, she moved to Paris on Christmas Eve of the same year with the intention of pursuing a career in motion pictures. It was about this time she adopted the name Dalila, which was shortly thereafter changed to the more familiar Dalida.
Dalida collected 19 number one hit singles to her name in four languages (French, Italian, German, and Arabic) and has a long list of top 10, and top 20 hits in French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Arabic, and accumulated myriad top selling singles and albums largely, in France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Greece, Canada, Russia, Japan, and Israel, spanning over forty years. Four of Dalida's English language recordings ("Alabama Song", "Money Money", "Let Me Dance Tonight", and "Kalimba de Luna
Kalimba de Luna
"Kalimba de Luna" is a 1984 single by Italian musician Tony Esposito, taken from his album Il grande esploratore. The single reached #6 in the Swiss charts and #14 in the Italian charts. A cover was produced by Jacques Fred Petrus for the band Macho the same year.-Boney M. version:Kalimba de Luna...
"), gained moderate success primarily in France and Germany, without being widely distributed in the UK and US markets. Worldwide sales of her music are estimated at over 130 million, establishing her as one of the most noteworthy multi-lingual recording artists of the 20th century.
Dalida's mother tongue was Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. She learned Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic is the language spoken by contemporary Egyptians.It is more commonly known locally as the Egyptian colloquial language or Egyptian dialect ....
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
growing up in Cairo, and improved her French after establishing herself in Paris in 1954. She later achieved command of the English language as well as reasonable conversational skills in German and Spanish. Dalida also had the aptitude of greeting her fans in basic Japanese. She was considered as a pop and music icon in Japan and her concerts there were met with almost unprecedented enthusiasm. Once during a concert in Japan, Dalida felt ill and couldn't continue to perform. The organisers expected an enraged reaction due to the cancellation of the concert but when Dalida came onstage and explained to her fans that she couldn't perform, she was met with great applause and her name echoed everywhere. She promised to hold the concert again, a promise which she soon fulfilled.
1956–1976
Dalida's singing career started in Egypt when she was discovered by Cherif Kamel, host of the "Hit Parade" at the Geuzira Sporting Club during the early 1950s. Dalida’s quest for a career in French cinema proved to be of limited success. Instead, she began taking singing lessons, and was booked as a cabaretCabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
act on the Champs Élysées, which proved successful. Performing the song "Étrangère au Paradis" in a variety show at Bruno Coquatrix
Bruno Coquatrix
Bruno Coquatrix, was born in Ronchin, Nord on 5 August 1910 and died in Paris on 1 April 1979, buried in the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery . He is mainly known as the owner and manager of the music hall Paris Olympia...
’ recently opened Paris Olympia
Paris Olympia
The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
theatre, Dalida was introduced to Lucien Morisse and Eddie Barclay
Eddie Barclay
Eddie Barclay was a French music producer whose singers included Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour. He founded Barclay Records.-Life:...
, who played a considerable part in launching the starlet’s career. Morisse was artistic producer of the popular Radio Europe 1
Europe 1
Europe 1, formerly known as Europe n° 1, is a privately owned radio network created in 1955. It is one of the leading French radio broadcasters and heard throughout France...
, and Barclay an established record producer. After signing a recording contract with Barclay, Dalida’s debut single "Madona" was promoted heavily by Morisse, and was a moderate success. However, the release of "Bambino" in 1956 would prove to be even more triumphant – it spent 46 weeks in the French top ten and remains one of the biggest-selling singles in French history, and for its sales (which exceeded 300,000 copies) Dalida was awarded her first gold disc, presented on 17 September 1957. The song bambino
Bambino
Bambino is Italian for "little boy". The feminine is bambina. It can refer to:* Il Bambino, name given in art to the image of the infant Jesus* Bambino , another name for the Italian wine grape Bombino bianco* Bambino!, Japanese manga...
echoed everywhere in France and was a success even beyond the French frontiers. In the same year, she would also support Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour, OC is an Armenian-French singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world...
at The Olympia
Paris Olympia
The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
. The follow-up single to "Bambino", the exotic-sounding and mesmerizing "Gondolier
Gondolier (song)
"Gondolier" is a French language popular song.The music was written by Pete De Angelis, the words by Jean Broussolle. It was published in 1957. It was popularized by Dalida....
", was released in the Christmas on 1957, was also a great success, as were other early releases such as "Come Prima
Come Prima
"Come Prima" is a popular song, with lyrics by Mario Panzeri and music by Vincenzo Di Paola and Sandro Taccani....
(Tu Me Donnes)", "Ciao Ciao Bambina", and a cover of The Drifters
The Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
’ "Save the Last Dance For Me", "Garde-Moi la Dernière Danse". These classical songs mark the first phase of Dalida's album and maintain their charm even today.
Dalida toured extensively from 1958 through the early 1960s, playing dates in France, Egypt, Italy, and the United States. Her tours of Egypt, and Italy spread her fame outside of France and Dalida soon became well-known throughout Europe. However, she waited too long before entering America's music scene and though great names of the American music industry wanted to introduce her to the United States, she refused commenting that "I took too long to start here".
However some of her English songs and her performance at the Carnegie Hall were much applauded.
In 1961, Dalida performed a month of shows at the Olympia, with each selling out completely. Shortly afterwards Dalida embarked upon a tour of Hong Kong and Vietnam. Throughout the 1960s Dalida would frequently perform sell-out shows at The Olympia, and international dates became more frequent. In December 1968, she was awarded the Médaille de la Présidence de la République by General Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
, the only person from the music industry to have received this medal.
The early 1970s became a transitional period for the singer, highlighted by some of her most successful singles. After gaining a keen interest in academia in the mid-1960s she chose to sing songs with more profound lyrics. She tried to probe into her inner-self and declared that she would sing only those songs which have a meaning for her. Bruno Coquatrix was dubious about Dalida’s career evolution, and was hesitant to book her for a series of performances in 1971. Dalida hired the hall herself, and her show was met with an impressive public response, thus forcing the world to acknowledge that a new and more powerful performer had emerged in Dalida. In 1973, a French version of the Italian song "Paroles Paroles", originally performed by Mina
Mina (singer)
Anna Maria Quaini, Grand Officer , known as Mina, is an Italian pop singer. She was a staple of Italian television variety shows and a dominant figure in Italian pop music from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s known for her three-octave vocal range, the agility of her soprano voice, and her image as an...
, was recorded by Dalida and her close friend Alain Delon
Alain Delon
Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon is a French actor. He rose quickly to stardom, and by the age of 23 was already being compared to French actors such as Gérard Philipe and Jean Marais, as well as American actor James Dean. He was even called the male Brigitte Bardot...
. The song became a big hit and was the number one single in France and Japan. It was played consistently on French radios, at the request of listeners. The follow-up, "Il Venait d’Avoir Dix-Huit Ans", reached number one in nine countries, and sold three and a half million copies in Germany. The way Dalida interpreted the song left people amazed."Gigi l’Amoroso", released in 1974, would actually perform better in the charts than its predecessor, reaching number one in 12 countries. A success which many other singers couldn't achieve. Touring would follow this period of unprecedented sales, with Dalida performing in Japan, Canada and Germany. In February 1975, French music critics presented the singer with the prestigious Prix de l'Académie du Disque Français.
1976–1987
1976 saw another career reinvention for Dalida; releasing what is widely regarded as the first French discoDisco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
single, "J’attendrai". Around the same time, the popularity of the variety show in France was soaring, and Dalida made many television appearances during this period, not only in France but across Europe. In 1978, she recorded "Salma ya Salama", based on a traditional Egyptian folk song, which due to its chart success was translated from Arabic into French, Italian, and German. It was amongst the first Ethnic fusion hits in the world. Part of the lyrics are based on an Egyptian folk song about homesickness and celebrating the Egyptian nation.
This and other songs in Arabic by Dalida (such as "Helwa ya Baladi", and "Ahsan Nass") became extremely popular in Egypt, making Dalida one of the first singers to break through the barrier separating Arab and Western musics. She was received in Egypt like a queen with the Egyptian President himself coming at the airport to welcome her. Egyptians were soon wooed by her beauty, voice, charm, determination and wonderful songs and interpretations.
Her close friend Fairouz was the other major artist to be crossing the boundaries from East to West, with her immense success throughout Europe, North and South America, and Australia.
The success of "Salma ya Salama" was followed by the first French medley
Medley
-Sports:*Medley swimming, races requiring multiple swimming styles*Medley relay races at track meets-Music:*Medley , multiple pieces strung together*"Medley" -People:...
single, "Génération ‘78", a disco-fused combination of her biggest hit singles to date. It also became the first French single to be accompanied by a video clip. During this disco period, Dalida would earn a gay audience, a following which is still maintained today. In November, Dalida performed a Broadway-themed show at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in New York, choreographed by Lester Wilson
Lester Wilson
Lester Wilson was an American dancer and choreographer. Wilson attended the Juilliard School. Bob Fosse cast him in a 1963 revival of Pal Joey at the New York City Center. Wilson toured London with Sammy Davis, Jr. in "Golden Boy". Lester's best known choreography was the 1977 movie Saturday...
, who created the dance routines for John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
in the previous year’s cinema smash Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
. Her performance was highly praised by critics and audiences alike. Two years later, following the success of "Monday Tuesday... Laissez-Moi Danser" in the summer of 1979, she would replicate the show at the Palais des Sports
Palais des Sports
Palais des Sports is the name of multiple sporting venues, mostly in the French-speaking world, including:* In France:**Palais des Sports de Beaulieu, Nantes**Palais des Sports de Fetes, Limoges**Palais des Sports de Gerland, Lyon...
, and each show sold-out, encouraging the singer to embark on a national tour which lasted until the autumn. In the same year, the lengthy "Gigi in Paradisco", a follow-up to the earlier "Gigi l’Amoroso", was released. Though it was not as popular as its predecessor, it was highly acclaimed and the new generation was soon dancing on Dalida disco tunes. The way Dalida shifted from a classical performer to a grave performer singing songs full of emotion (such as "Avec le temps", "Parlez-moi de lui" and "Darla dirladada", amongst others), to a Diva and pop star like figure making the stage glow with her hit dance numbers and colourful costumes and finally to a grief-stricken singer singing famous songs which announce her death (particularly songs such as "Mourir sur Scene", "Bravo" and "Téléphonez-moi"), Dalida showed that she was a strong-willed woman shifting with time and fashion. Her personal problems and troubling relationships, however, trapped her in the jaws of sadness leading to her suicide.
1981 marked the release of "Rio do Brasil", and several dates were played at The Olympia, emulating her successful 1980 tour. On the night of her first performance she became the first singer in the world to be awarded with a diamond disc, in recognition of her record sales which at that point in her career had exceeded 86 million. She was therefore much ahead of American singer Madonna since she was the first person to receive this success, thus paving the way for women to deliver powerful performances. Dalida spent much of 1982 and 1984 on tour, releasing the album "Les P'tits Mots" in 1983 which featured hit singles "Lucas" and "Mourir Sur Scène". The album "Dali" was released in 1984, and was accompanied by the release of several singles, including "Soleil", "Pour te dire je t’aime", a cover of Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
’s "I Just Called to Say I Love You", and "Kalimba de Luna", originally recorded by Tony Esposito
Tony Esposito (musician)
Antonio "Tony" Esposito is an Italian musician, singer-songwriter and drummer from Italy.-Career :Esposito was born in Naples.He is well known for his 1984 hit single "Kalimba de Luna" from his album Il grande esploratore....
. All three achieved moderate chart success, and her next 1986 album, "Le visage de l'amour", would become her last album of completely new recordings (except the final song being "Mourir sur scène").
Other hit performances of Dalida include "The Lambeth Walk"; both in English and in French. The song "Je suis malade" written by Serge Lama and made into a success by Dalida reflects the singer's personal torments and unhappiness. The emotions with which she sang the song is unmatched even today. At the peak of her success, an obsessed fan of her tried to kidnap her in Canada by using a hammer. Fortunately enough, he didn't succeed.
Undaunted, she continued to deliver success after success: namely "Ensemble", "Ne lui dis pas", "La Valse des vacances", a cover version of Édith Piaf's "La vie en rose"
La vie en rose
"La Vie en Rose" was the signature song of French singer Édith Piaf.-Signature song of Édith Piaf:Édith Piaf first popularized La Vie en Rose in 1946. The lyrics were written by Piaf and the melody of the song by "Louiguy" . Initially, Piaf's peers and her songwriting team did not think the song...
, "Born to sing"/"Mourir sur scène", amongst others.
Dalida underwent two major ophthalmic
Ophthalmic artery
The ophthalmic artery is the first branch of the internal carotid artery distal to the cavernous sinus. Branches of the OA supply all the structures in the orbit as well as some structures in the nose, face and meninges...
operations in 1985, forcing her to put her career on hiatus. The fear of her childhood days return as she again had to operate her eyes. The stage lights started to trouble her. In 1986, she would play the role of a young grandmother in the Youssef Chahine
Youssef Chahine
Youssef Chahine was an Egyptian film director active in the Egyptian film industry since 1950. He was credited with launching the career of actor Omar Sharif...
film "Le Sixième Jour", for which she received favourable critical response. Her last live performance, took place in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, Turkey, in 1987.
Personal life
Despite enormous career success, Dalida’s private life was marred by a series of failed relationships and personal problems. Her first husband, Lucien Morisse, committed suicide several years after their divorceDivorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
. Two of her lovers, Luigi Tenco
Luigi Tenco
Luigi Tenco was an Italian singer, songwriter and actor.-Biography:Tenco was born in Cassine in 1938, the son of Teresa Zoccola and Giuseppe Tenco. He never knew his father, who died in unclear circumstances...
and Richard Chanfray
Richard Chanfray
Richard Chanfray was a French public figure in the 1970s. He claimed to be the Comte de Saint-Germain and appeared in numerous European television shows claiming to transmute lead into gold.- Biography :...
, also took their own lives.
Death
On 3 May 1987 Dalida died as a result of an overdose of barbiturateBarbiturate
Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system depressants, and can therefore produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to total anesthesia. They are also effective as anxiolytics, as hypnotics, and as anticonvulsants...
s, leaving a suicide note
Suicide note
A suicide note or death note is a message that states the author has died by suicide, and left to be discovered and read in anticipation of suicide....
"La vie m'est insupportable... Pardonnez-moi" which reads "Life has become unbearable for me... Forgive me."
Dalida was buried in the famous Montmartre Cemetery
Montmartre Cemetery
Montmartre Cemetery is a cemetery in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France.-History:Cemeteries had been banned from Paris since the shutting down of the Cimetière des Innocents in 1786, as they presented health hazards...
(French: Cimetière de Montmartre), Paris, and a life-size statue of her was erected outside her tomb.
Legacy
Since her death, Dalida has become a cult figure to a new generation of fans. In 1988, the Encyclopaedia Universalis commissioned a poll which was eventually published in the daily newspaper Le MondeLe Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
, the aim of which was to reveal the personalities who had the greatest impact on French society. Dalida polled second, behind Général de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
.
In 1997, the corner of the rues Girardon and Abreuvoir in the Butte Montmartre, Paris, was inaugurated as Place Dalida and a life-size bust to her memory was erected. In 1999, a 3-CD box-set compiling her greatest hits was released. In 2000, Dalida's longtime friend Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour, OC is an Armenian-French singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world...
recorded the hit "De la scène à la Seine", a joyful song of her life in France, and in 2002, the French government honoured her memory with a postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
done in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of her death. In the same year, Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
released Dalida's early album releases in special-edition packaging, with all of the tracks digitally remastered. Her output has also been the subject of various remix albums. She sold a total of 130 million records from 1956 to 2006. Since her death, many of Dalida's hits have been remixed to modern techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
and dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
beats, topping the charts in various countries to this day.
In 1999 the play "Solitudini – Luigi Tenco e Dalida", written and directed by Maurizio Valtieri, was performed in Rome.
In 2005, her life was documented in the two-part TV film Dalida, in the role of Dalida was Sabrina Ferilli
Sabrina Ferilli
Sabrina Ferilli is an Italian theater and movie actress.- Selected filmography :* Natale a Beverly Hills * Tutta la vita davanti * Natale A New York * Dalida...
.
From 11 May to September 2007, the Paris City Hall commemorated the 20th anniversary of Dalida’s death with an exhibition of her outfits and previously unreleased photographs.
Discography
- See main article List of Dalida songs for a complete international listing of all Dalida's songs.
- See main article Dalida albums discography for Dalida's albums discography.
- See main article Dalida singles discographyDalida singles discographyThe singles discography of recording artist Dalida consists of one hundred thirty-four official singles as well as one promotional singles and ??? other appearances.-1956-1970 :...
for Dalida's singles discography.
Filmography
This is a chronologically ordered list of films in which Dalida has appeared.| Year | Title | Character | Director | Movie Studio | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Joseph et ses frères (France: French title) aka "Joseph and His Brothers" |
Film, starring Omar Sharif Omar Sharif Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:... (Arabic: عمر الشريف) |
||||
| 1954 | Le Masque de Toutankhamon aka "Le trésor des pharaons" (France) |
Dalida | Marco de Gastyne Marco de Gastyne Marc Henri Benoist better known as Marco de Gastyne was a French painter, illustrator and later film director of more than a dozen films.... |
Film, starring Gil Vidal and Samia Gamal Samia Gamal Samia Gamal was an Egyptian belly dancer and film actress.Born in the small Egyptian town of Wana in 1924, Samia's family moved just months later to Cairo and settled near the Khan El-Khalili bazaar. It was many years later that Samia Gamal met Badia Masabni, the founder of modern Oriental dance.... (Arabic: سامية جمال) |
||
| 1954 | Sigara wa Kass aka "Un verre et une cigarette" aka "A Cigarette and a Glass" (International: English title) aka "A Glass and a Cigarette" (International (DVD box title) (English title)) |
Iolanda (as Dalila) | Niazi Mostafa | Film, starring Samia Gamal (Arabic: سامية جمال) | ||
| 1958 | Brigade des mœurs | Herself | Maurice Boutel | Cocifrance Élysée-Films |
Film, co-starring with Eddy Barclay | |
| 1958 | Rapt au deuxième bureau aka "Operation Abduction" |
Bella Morena | Jean Stelli | La Société des Films Sirius Vega Films |
Film, co-starring with Frank Villard | |
| 1960 | "Che femmina... e che dollari!" (Italy: Italian title) aka Parlez-moi d'amour (France: French title) |
Laura Pisani | Giorgio Simonelli | Di Gianni Cinematografica Transmond Rialto Film Rialto Film Rialto Film is a Danish/German film company originally founded by Constantin Philpsen in 1897 . His son Constantin Preben Philipsen took over the company in 1950... |
Film, co-starring with Jacques Sernas Jacques Sernas Jacques Sernas is a Lithuanian-born French actor with an international film career.-Early life and education:He was born in Kaunas, Lithuania, the son of Jokūbas Šernas, a signatory of the 1918 Act of Independence of Lithuania, who died when Sernas was a year old. His mother took him to Paris,... |
|
| 1963 | L'inconnue de Hong Kong aka "Stranger from Hong-Kong" (US) aka "The Unknown of Hong Kong" (International: English title: informal title) |
Georgia la chanteuse | Jacques Poitrenaud | Cocinor Les Films Marceau |
Film, co-starring with Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize... and Tania Béryl |
|
| 1966 | La morale de l'histoire | Herself | Claude Dagues | Television movie | ||
| 1968 | 13 jours en France | Herself | Claude Lelouch and Francois Reichenbach François Reichenbach François Reichenbach was a French film director, cinematographer producer and screenwriter. He directed 40 films between 1954 and 1993.-Selected filmography:* America As Seen by a Frenchman... |
Les Films 13 | Documentary about the 1968 Winter Olympics 1968 Winter Olympics The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on 6 February. Thirty-seven countries participated... in Grenoble Grenoble Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère... , France. Features Charles de Gaulle Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969.... , Dalida, Johnny Hallyday Johnny Hallyday Johnny Hallyday is a French singer and actor. An icon in the French-speaking world since the beginning of his career, he was considered by some to have been the French Elvis Presley. He was married for 15 years to one of the most popular French female singers: Sylvie Vartan... and Jean-Claude Killy Jean-Claude Killy Jean-Claude Killy was an alpine ski racer, who dominated the sport in the late 1960s. He was a triple Olympic champion, winning the three alpine events at the 1968 Winter Olympics, becoming the most successful athlete there... . (Uncredited.) |
|
| 1968 | Menage all'italiana Menage all'italiana Menage all'italiana is a 1965 Italian film.... aka "Marriage Italian Style" (International: English title) |
Anna | Franco Indovina Franco Indovina Franco Indovina was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed six films between 1965 and 1971. He died when Alitalia Flight 112 crashed on approach to Palermo... |
Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica, or the Dino de Laurentiis Entertainment Group, is an Italian film-production company.-Origin and operations:It was founded in 1946 by Dino de Laurentiis and has since produced nearly 100 films.... |
Film, co-starring with Ugo Tognazzi Ugo Tognazzi Ugo Tognazzi was an Italian film, TV, and theatre actor, director, and screenwriter.-Early life:Tognazzi was born in Cremona, in northern Italy but spent his youth in various localities as his father was a traveller clerk for an insurance company.After his return in the native city in 1936, he... |
|
| 1968 | Io ti amo aka "I Love You" aka "Dalida, agapi mou" (Greece: Greek title) |
Judy | Antonio Margheriti Antonio Margheriti Antonio Margheriti , also known under the pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson, was a prolific Italian filmmaker. He was born in Rome and died in 2002 from a heart attack in Monterosi, Viterbo, near Rome at the age of 72.... |
Genesio Productions | Film, co-starring with Alberto Lupo Alberto Lupo Alberto Lupo was an Italian film and television actor best known for his roles in swash-buckling and actions films of the 1960s.... |
|
| 1977 | Comme sur des roulettes aka "As Easy as Pie" (International: English title) |
Herself | Nina Companéez | A.Z. Productions Cinémag Société Française de Production (SFP) Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie (SNC) |
Film | |
| 1977 | Dalida: Pour toujours | Herself | Michel Dumoulin | Documentary | ||
| 1986 | Le sixième jour aka "The Sixth Day" (International: English title) aka "Al-yawm al-Sadis" (Arabic title) (Arabic: اليوم السادس) aka "Der sechste Tag" (Germany: German title) |
Saddika | Youssef Chahine Youssef Chahine Youssef Chahine was an Egyptian film director active in the Egyptian film industry since 1950. He was credited with launching the career of actor Omar Sharif... (Arabic: يوسف شاهين) |
Film, co-starring with Mohsen Mohieddin | ||
| 1997 | Le grand voyage | Herself | Philippe Kohly | Documentary | ||
| 2005 | Dalida: Le Film | Dalida (singing voice) |
Joyce Buñuel | Ego Productions | Television mini-series (film) singing voice for actress Sabrina Ferilli Sabrina Ferilli Sabrina Ferilli is an Italian theater and movie actress.- Selected filmography :* Natale a Beverly Hills * Tutta la vita davanti * Natale A New York * Dalida... |
|
Awards
| Year | Award | Country | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Radio Monte Carlo Radio Monte Carlo Radio Monte Carlo is the name of six radio stations owned and managed by three different entities:*RMC Info is a French-speaking station, broadcasting in France and Monaco from Paris with some contributions from Monaco. Radio Monte-Carlo was one of 23 founding broadcasting organisations of the... Oscars |
France | Radio Monte Carlo Oscar | Won |
| 1958 | Paris Olympia music hall Paris Olympia The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber.... Bravos |
France | Paris Olympia music hall Bravos (Shared recognition with Yves Montand Yves Montand -Early life:Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, the son of poor peasants Giuseppina and Giovanni Livi, a broommaker. Montand's mother was a devout Catholic, while his father held strong Communist beliefs. Because of the Fascist regime in Italy, Montand's family left for France in... ) |
Won |
| 1959 | Platinum Oscar Awards | Italy | Platinum Oscar Award | Won |
| 1959 | Golden She-Wolf Award | Italy | Golden She-Wolf Award | Won |
| 1959 | L'Oscar de la chanson Awards | France | L'Oscar de la chanson Award for Best Song | Won |
| 1959 | Radio Monte Carlo Oscar Awards | France | Radio Monte Carlo Oscar | Won |
| 1960 | Grand Prix Awards | Italy | Grand Prix Award for Best Italian Song (Shared award with Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour, OC is an Armenian-French singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world... ) |
Won |
| 1961 | Radio Monte Carlo Oscar Awards | Italy | Radio Monte Carlo Oscar | Won |
| 1962 | Radio Monte Carlo Oscar Awards | Italy | Radio Monte Carlo Oscar (Shared award with Johnny Hallyday Johnny Hallyday Johnny Hallyday is a French singer and actor. An icon in the French-speaking world since the beginning of his career, he was considered by some to have been the French Elvis Presley. He was married for 15 years to one of the most popular French female singers: Sylvie Vartan... ) |
Won |
| 1963 | Radio Monte Carlo Oscar Awards | France | Radio Monte Carlo Oscar for Most Successful International Artist | Won |
| 1964 | Juke Box Global Oscar Awards | Italy | Juke Box Global Oscar for The Year's Most-Played Artist on Jukebox Jukebox A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media... es in Italy |
Won |
| 1965 | Cico Viola Prize | Brazil | Cico Viola Prize for "Zorba o Greco" | Won |
| 1966 | Paris Olympia music hall Bravos | France | Les Bravos du Musique Hall | Won |
| 1967 | Golden Caravel Awards | Italy | Golden Caravel Award | Won |
| 1968 | Canzonissima Oscar | Italy | Canzonissima Oscar | Won |
| 1969 | MIDEM Midem -MIDEM:Short for Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale, MIDEM is the world's largest music industry trade fair, which has been held annually at and around the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, since 1967... Prize |
Italy | MIDEM Prize for Highest Selling Musical Artist | Won |
| 1969 | Radio Luxembourg Radio Luxembourg (French) Radio Luxembourg - 1933-1939 and 1951- is the name of a Long Wave commercial radio station that began broadcasting from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in 1933 as a daytime and evening service in the French language from Monday to Saturday and until 12 Noon on Sundays.The station closed down at the... Hit Parade Oscar Awards |
France | Radio Luxembourg Hit Parade Oscar | Won |
| 1969 | Radio Luxembourg Radio Luxembourg (French) Radio Luxembourg - 1933-1939 and 1951- is the name of a Long Wave commercial radio station that began broadcasting from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in 1933 as a daytime and evening service in the French language from Monday to Saturday and until 12 Noon on Sundays.The station closed down at the... Hit Parade Oscar Awards |
France | Radio Luxembourg Hit Parade Oscar | Won |
| 1972 | Popularity Oscar | France | Popularity Osca for Most Popular Artist | Won |
| 1973 | APPCB (Association Professionnelle de la Presse Cinématographique Belge) Awards | Belgium | Gold Medal Award | Won |
| 1974 | Golden Gigi award | Spain | Golden Gigi Award (Special award) for Extraordinary Record Sales | Won |
| 1974 | Golden Heart Awards | Spain | Golden Heart Award for Most Popular Artist in Spain | Won |
| 1975 | L'Académie du Disque Français Awards | France | Global Oscar Oscar Mondial du Disque Award for "Gigi l'Amoroso" and "Il venait d'avoir dix-huit ans" | Won |
| 1975 | Oscar Awards | France | Eight Oscar Awards awarded at the Olympia in recognition of extraordinary, rare, and, distinguished achievements. | Won |
| 1975 | Golden Lion Awards | Germany | Golden Lion | Won |
| 1976 | French Summer Carnaval Awards | France | French Summer Carnaval Award | Won |
| 1976 | French Academy Awards | France | French Academy Award for a number one single in nine countries | Won |
| 1979 | Radio Monte Carlo Awards | France | Croque-Musique Award | Won |
| 1981 | Goldene Europa Goldene Europa The Goldene Europa award is the oldest German Television award for artists and entertainers. It was awarded from 1968 to 2003. In the years 1989 and 2001, there were no ceremonies... Awards |
Germany | Goldene Europa for Artist of the Year in Germany | Won |
| 1985 | Golden Butterfly Awards | Turkey | Golden Butterfly Award | Won |
| 1987 | Dalida Award | Turkey | Dalida Award (Special Award) for Best Performance in Anatolia Anatolia Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey... |
Won |
Honours
1950: Dalida won the title of Miss Ondine. 1954: Dalida won the Miss EgyptMiss Egypt
Miss Egypt, is an Egyptian beauty pageant that qualifies delegates to international beauty contests. The first Miss Egypt contest was held in 1929. The only winner that held the title of Miss World was Antigone Costanda in 1954. The pageant has been sponsored by the hair care company, Pantene...
beauty pageant and crowned Miss Egypt 1954. 1962: Calabrian
Calabrian
Calabrian may refer to:* Calabrian languages, the languages and dialects spoken in Calabria* Calabrians, the people of Calabria, southern Italy...
Citizen of Honour. 1968: Godmother of Montmartre
Montmartre
Montmartre is a hill which is 130 metres high, giving its name to the surrounding district, in the north of Paris in the 18th arrondissement, a part of the Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on its summit and as a nightclub district...
street urchins. 1977: Egyptian Medal of Honour 1984: Dalida declined the French honour Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
award, the highest order of France, marking the first time she ever declined an honour.
Medals 1968: Medal of the City of Paris. 1968: the French President's Medal (Médaille de la Présidence de la République) awarded by President of the French Republic Général de Gaulle on 5 December 1968, representing the only time in history an artist has ever been presented with this honour by the President of France to date. 1968: Ruby Cross (Croix de Vermeil) (Commander of Arts, Sciences and Letters). 1981: Dalida was awarded a medal by then-French Minister of Defence
Minister of Defence (France)
The Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs is the French government cabinet member charged with running the military of France....
Charles Hernu
Charles Hernu
Charles Hernu was a French socialist politician, most notably serving as Minister of Defence from 1981 to 1985, until forced to resign over the bombing of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand.-Biography:In 1946, Hernu studied at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium where he...
.
Foreign Honours City of Graulhet Medal of Honour, 1980 Belgian Medal of Honour, 1984 Canadian medal for talent and wisdom, 1985
Posthumous tributes
1987: Dalida was posthumously honoured with a commemorative coinCommemorative coin
Commemorative coins are coins that were issued to commemorate some particular event or issue. Most world commemorative coins were issued from the 1960s onward, although there are numerous examples of commemorative coins of earlier date. Such coins have a distinct design with reference to the...
minted by The French Mint
Mint (coin)
A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins for currency.The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. One difference is that the history of the mint is usually closely tied to the political situation of an era...
, Monnaie de Paris
Monnaie de Paris
The Monnaie de Paris or, more administratively speaking, the "Direction of Coins and Medals", is an administration of the French government charged with issuing coins as well as producing medals and other similar items. Many ancient coins are housed there...
, issued in gold, bronze and silver, bearing her effigy. 1988: Dalida was posthumously honoured by the "International Star Registry
International Star Registry
The International Star Registry , founded in 1979, is a company which sells products related to entries in the Your Place in the Cosmos book published by the company every 2 – 3 years. As of 2009, the company has produced 8 volumes of the book which includes customers from August 2004 through July...
" (US), with the issuance of a diploma, awarded three years after her death. 1997: Dalida was posthumously honoured by the City of Paris with a square named in her memory, named "Dalida Square", located at the angle of rues Girardon and Abreuvoirs, in the 18th arrondissement (borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
) of Paris, France. 1997: Dalida became one of only three women in France to have a statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
erected to her, along with Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
and Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt was a French stage and early film actress, and has been referred to as "the most famous actress the world has ever known". Bernhardt made her fame on the stages of France in the 1870s, and was soon in demand in Europe and the Americas...
. 1998: Dalida was posthumously honoured in Egypt in a tribute ceremony which took place on 27 October in Cairo and the "Dalida Prize" was awarded in her honour. 2001: Dalida was posthumously honoured by the French government with a second stamp bearing her likeness which was released by La Poste
La Poste
La Poste may refer to:* La Poste, the postal service of France* La Poste Suisse, the French name for Swiss Post* La Poste, the French name for De Post - La Poste - Die Post of Belgium* La Poste Tunisienne, the Tunisian postal service...
, the French postal service, as part of the Song Artists series. 10,157,601 copies were sold. 2003: Awarded prize for "Greatest Singer of the Century" in France, based on three criteria: numbers of album and single sales, number of radio airplays and chart positions. Dalida was placed third after Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
. In 2003 Dalida remained the number one favourite artist in France.
Polls
- 1965 – F.O.P. Poll: 'Favourite French singer'
- 1976 – Dalida was voted 'Woman of the Year' in Canada, ahead of Jackie Kennedy)
- 1982 – Paris MatchParis MatchParis Match is a French weekly magazine. It covers major national and international news along with celebrity lifestyle features. It was founded in 1949 by the industrialist Jean Prouvost....
magazine survey revealed that Dalida was the only representative from show businessShow businessShow business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
to appear in a list of most influential French women. - 1985 – Dalida was voted 'Favourite French singer' (Télé 7 JoursTélé 7 JoursTélé 7 Jours is a French weekly magazine published by Hachette Filipacchi Médias. It publishes news and materials relating to French radio and television programming.-History:...
magazine). - 1986 – VSDVSD (French magazine)VSD is a French weekly news, celebrity and leisure magazine, published on Thursdays. The name is formed from the first letters of the French names for Friday , Saturday and Sunday ....
magazine published a survey in which Dalida was voted 'Favourite French singer'. - 1988 – SOFRESTaylor Nelson SofresTaylor Nelson Sofres is a leading market research and market information group. Formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, the firm was acquired by WPP Group in October 2008 for 1.6 billion pounds.-History:...
/Encyclopædia UniversalisEncyclopædia UniversalisThe Encyclopædia Universalis is a French-language general encyclopedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., a privately held company. The articles of the Encyclopædia Universalis are aimed at educated adult readers, and written by a staff of full-time editors and expert contributors...
: In a survey asking the French public which events had the greatest impact on the French public between 1968 and 1988, 16% of the French public voted the 'Death of Général de Gaulle' and 10% voted the 'Death of Dalida'. - 2001 – IFOP Survey: Dalida was voted the 'Most important female singer who had the greatest impact on French society in the 20th century', along with Édith PiafÉdith PiafÉdith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
. - 2005 – Dalida was voted the 'Favourite singer in 2004' amongst Italians, and held seventh place amongst the most collected musical artists in Italy.
- 2005 – Dalida was voted 'Top 58th French person of all time' in a survey sponsored by the France 2France 2France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
television channel. The only women from show business which appeared in this list were Catherine DeneuveCatherine DeneuveCatherine Deneuve is a French actress. She gained recognition for her portrayal of aloof and mysterious beauties in films such as Repulsion and Belle de jour . Deneuve was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in Indochine; she also won César Awards for that...
, Brigitte BardotBrigitte BardotBrigitte Anne-Marie Bardot is a French former fashion model, actress, singer and animal rights activist. She was one of the best-known sex-symbols of the 1960s.In her early life, Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer...
, Simone SignoretSimone SignoretSimone Signoret was a French cinema actress often hailed as one of France's greatest movie stars. She became the first French person to win an Academy Award, for her role in Room at the Top...
, Édith Piaf and Dalida.
Honorific eponyms
Geographic locations: Dalida Square, 18 arr., Paris: rue Dalida, Laval, Que., CanadaArt (selection)
- Jean Sobieski: Dalida (Oil on canvas, 19??)
- Magguy Crouzet: Dalida (Portrait in dot-sculpture, 1976)
- Michel Souvais: Dalida, femme est la nuit (Oil on canvas, 1977)
- Alain Aslan: Dalida (Yolanda Gigliotti), funerary statue (Bronze sculpture, 1987)
- Alain Aslan: Dalida (Yolanda Gigliotti) (Bronze bust, 1997)
- Francesco Gallo: Dalida (Yolanda Gigliotti) (Bronze sculpture, 2007)
- FS62: Dalida (Black and white portrait in acrylic, 2008)
Dalida in contemporary music
- The Dalida song "Born to Sing" (original French title "Mourir sur scène" and later translated to English, Italian and Spanish) was covered in English by Dalida's long time friend Shirley BasseyShirley BasseyDame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
, released in 1986 as a B-side of a Towerbell Records single (A-side: "There's No Place Like London"). Although the recording has never been re-released, Shirley Bassey performed the song in 1995 during some concerts as part of her 40th anniversary world tour. Shirley Bassey's interpretation of "Born to Sing" is also sometimes titled or referred to as "I Was Born to Sing Forever." - In 1996, Céline Dion and Alain Delon performed the song "Paroles, paroles" on the 1996 New Year's Eve France 2France 2France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
television programme. - In 1998, Sarah Brightman’sSarah BrightmanSarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
released the song "There for Me", an English language version of "Fini, la comédie". The song first appeared on her Time to Say GoodbyeTime to Say Goodbye (album)Time to Say Goodbye, known as Timeless in Europe, is Sarah Brightman's most popular album, released in 1997. . The SACD 5.1 version released by EMI is entitled Time to Say Goodbye and follows the American track listing...
album, featuring José CuraJosé CuraJosé Cura is a prominent operatic tenor known for his intense and original interpretations of his characters, notably Verdi’s Otello and Saint-Saëns’ Samson, as well as for his unconventional and innovative concert performances. He is also able to perform high baritone roles with the extended...
. It was also released as a single, with ‘O mio babbino caroO mio babbino caro"O mio babbino caro" is a soprano aria from the opera Gianni Schicchi , by Giacomo Puccini, to a libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. It is sung by Lauretta after tensions between her father Schicchi and the family of Rinuccio, the boy she loves, have reached a breaking point that threatens to...
” as the B-side track. Often on her 2000/2001 La LunaLa Luna (album)La Luna is a concept album recorded by English soprano Sarah Brightman in 2000. It was released under license by Nemo Studios to Angel Records. The album combines pieces written by classical and modern composers....
tour, Brightman would perform this duet with Josh GrobanJosh GrobanJoshua Winslow "Josh" Groban is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His four solo albums have been certified at least multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number-one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in that country...
, and this was included in the La Luna: Live in ConcertLa Luna: Live in ConcertLa Luna: Live in Concert is a live concert recording by Sarah Brightman, inspired by her La Luna album. A performance in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida was recorded in 2001 and has been released on DVD and VHS. Brightman performs her 1997 hit "There for Me" with singer Josh Groban...
DVD. - The song "De la scène à la Seine", by Charles Aznavour, from his year 2000 album "Azvanour, 2000" is a tribute to Dalida.
- In 2000, Sarah Hohn (featuring Wehrlen), released a cover of the song "Paroles, paroles" in tribute to Dalida and Alain Delon.
- In 2002, an interpretation of the song "Pour ne pas vivre seul", by Firmine Richard, was included in the movie "8 femmes", by François OzonFrançois OzonFrançois Ozon is a French film director and screenwriter and whose films are usually characterized by sharp satirical wit and a freewheeling view on human sexuality....
. - In 2004, the song "Laissez-moi danser (Monday Tuesday)" was covered by Star Academy 4Star Academy FranceStar Academy was a French reality television show produced by the Dutch company Endemol, based on the Spanish format called Operación Triunfo. It consists of a contest of young singers. It spawned an equally successful show in Quebec called Star Académie. It was broadcast on TF1...
in France, under the shorter name "Laissez-moi danser", in honour of Dalida.
- In 2005, Lebanese singer Grace DeebGrace DeebGrace Deeb is a Lebanese singer who was born on May 29, 1975 in Beirut among a family of musicians and began her career at the age of four. She sings in 8 languages mentioning them; ....
released a cover of the song "Helwa ya baladi", which reached number one spots over the charts. - In 2007, Spanish singer Luz CasalLuz CasalLuz Casal, born November 11, 1958 at Boimorto, is a Spanish pop singer. She grew up in neighbouring Asturias, took singing, piano and ballet classes, and moved to Madrid to pursue a career as a musician....
released the song "18 años", a new Spanish-language interpretation of "Tenía 18 años", the Spanish version of "Il venait d'avoir 18 ans" (English version: "He Must Have Been Eighteen"), in honour of French music, with entirely new Spanish lyrics, on her album "Vida tóxica". - In 2007, Italian singer Patty PravoPatty PravoPatty Pravo is an Italian pop singer whose career has spanned more than four decades. Her first single "Ragazzo triste", released in 1966, was the first pop song aired on Vatican Radio...
released the tribute albumTribute albumA tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
"Spero che ti piaccia... Pour toi", in tribute to Dalida. - In 2007, Lebanese singer ElissaElissa (singer)Elissar Zakaria Khoury simply known as Elissa is a Lebanese singer. She is known for her collaborations with well-known Arab and international artists, notably Ragheb Alama, Cheb Mami, Fadl Shaker, Chris DeBurgh and Gerard Ferrer.Born to a Lebanese father and a Syrian mother , her debut was in...
(Arabic: إليسا) paid hommage to the chanteuse, covering her famous song, "Helwa ya baladi". - In 2007, Italian singer-songwriter Franco BattiatoFranco BattiatoFrancesco Battiato is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes...
released the album "Fleurs 2", containing the track "Il venait d'avoir 18 ans", a cover in hommage to the singer, performed with the participation of Persian vocalist Sepideh RaissadatSepideh RaissadatSepideh Raissadat is a female Persian classical vocalist and musician.-Albums:* composed by Reza Ghassemi. Published by Buda Records, Oct,25 2010.* published by Felmay, Sept. 1, 2010....
(Persian: سپیده رئیس سادات). - In 2008, French singer Michèle Torr covered the song "Pour ne pas vivre seul", released on her album "Ces années-là", in hommage to Dalida. A live version of her rendition was also released on her live DVD "Olympia 2008", and digital album of the same name, both released in 2009.
- In 2009, Lara FabianLara FabianLara Fabian is a Belgian-Italian international singer who also holds Canadian citizenship. Multilingual, she sings in French, Italian and English....
released the tribute album "Toutes les femmes en moiToutes les femmes en moiToutes les femmes en moi is the 6th French album and 8th studio album in total released by Lara Fabian.During 2008, Fabian was in Belgium preparing to record a brand new French album with famous pianist Mark Herskowitz, who had also composed and arranged the hidden instrumental track featured on...
", containing an interpretation of the song "Il venait d'avoir 18 ans", of which the former is in part tribute, and the latter in tribute to Dalida. - In 2009, Arthanor Music released the tribute album "Un clip de toi (Hommage à Dalida, 1988)", containing four tracks originally recorded in 1988 by David Heissen and dedicated to Dalida.
Music from motion pictures and TV
The following Dalida songs have appeared in the formentioned motion pictures or TV series.| Year | Motion picture | Songs | Director | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Mädchen für die Mambo-Bar aka "Des filles pour le mambo bar" (France: French title) aka "$100 a Night" (US: dubbed version: English title) aka "Girls for the Mambo-Bar" (UK) |
"Am Tag, als der Regen kam" | Wolfgang Glück Wolfgang Glück Wolfgang Glück is an Austrian film director and screenwriter. His film 38 – Auch das war Wien was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.-External links:... |
|
| 1979 | Série noire Série noire (film) Série noire is a 1979 French crime film directed by Alain Corneau. It was entered into the 1979 Cannes Film Festival. It is based on the novel Hell of a Woman by Jim Thompson.-Cast:* Patrick Dewaere - Franck Poupart* Myriam Boyer - Jeanne... |
"Le Lambeth Walk" | Alain Corneau Alain Corneau Alain Corneau was a French film director and writer.Corneau was born in Meung-sur-Loire, Loiret. Originally a musician, he worked with Costa-Gavras as an assistant, which was also his first opportunity to work with the actor Yves Montand, with whom he would collaborate three times later in his... |
|
| 1984 | La Triche | "Fini, la comédie" and "Je suis toutes les femmes" | Yannick Bellon | |
| 1991 | Hors la vie Hors la vie Out of Life is a 1991 film directed by Lebanese director Maroun Bagdadi. The film tells the story of a French photographer , who is kidnapped in Beirut, Lebanon, and attempts to maintain his personal dignity in the face of torture and brainwashing... (aka "Out of Life") |
"Salma ya salama" | Maroun Bagdadi | |
| 1994 | Mina Tannenbaum Mina Tannenbaum Mina Tannenbaum is a 1994 French film written and directed by Martine Dugowson, her debut feature. It stars Romane Bohringer and Elsa Zylberstein.... |
"Il venait d'avoir 18 ans" | Martine Dugowson | |
| 1995 | Gazon Maudit (aka "French Twist French Twist French Twist , is a 1995 French comedy film. It was written and directed by co-star Josiane Balasko. The film was a hit in France gaining 3,790,381 Admissions and grossing $1,026,646 in the United States.-Synopsis:... ") |
"Salma ya salama" | Alain Chabat Alain Chabat Alain Chabat is a French actor and director who appeared in La Cité de la peur, French Twist, The Taste of Others and The Science of Sleep.- Life and career :Chabat was born in Oran, French Algeria. He is Jewish.... |
|
| 1995 | Pigalle | Unknown | Karim Dridi Karim Dridi Karim Dridi is a French film director and screenwriter. He has directed ten films since 1987. His film Bye-Bye was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.-Filmography:* Dans le sac... |
|
| 1996 | Pédale douce | "Bambino", "Salma ya salama" and "Je suis toutes les femmes" | Gabriel Aghion Gabriel Aghion -Biography:He was born in Alexandria, in Egypt on 30 December 1955.-Filmography:* La Scarlatine * Bras de Fer * Rue du Bac * Pédale douce -Biography:He was born in Alexandria, in Egypt on 30 December 1955.-Filmography:* La Scarlatine (1983)* Bras de Fer (1985)* Rue du Bac (1990)* Pédale douce... |
|
| 1996 | Un Air de Famille (aka "Family Resemblances" (US)) | "Come prima" | Cédric Klapisch Cédric Klapisch Cédric Klapisch , is a French film director.Klapisch was born at Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine. He is from a Jewish family; his maternal grandparents were deported to Auschwitz. He studied cinema at the University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle as well as at the University of Paris VIII... |
|
| 1997 | On connaît la chanson On connaît la chanson On connaît la chanson is a 1997 French film. It was directed by Alain Resnais, and written by Agnès Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri. Jaoui and Bacri also starred in the film with Sabine Azéma, Lambert Wilson, André Dussollier and Pierre Arditi.- Plot :Odile , a business executive, is married to weak,... aka "Same Old Song On connaît la chanson On connaît la chanson is a 1997 French film. It was directed by Alain Resnais, and written by Agnès Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri. Jaoui and Bacri also starred in the film with Sabine Azéma, Lambert Wilson, André Dussollier and Pierre Arditi.- Plot :Odile , a business executive, is married to weak,... " (US) |
"Paroles, paroles" | Alain Resnais Alain Resnais Alain Resnais is a French film director whose career has extended over more than six decades. After training as a film editor in the mid-1940s, he went on to direct a number of short films which included Nuit et Brouillard , an influential documentary about the Nazi concentration camps.He began... |
|
| 1997 | Mémoires d'immigrés, l'héritage maghrébin | "Helwa ya baladi" | Yamina Benguigui Yamina Benguigui Yamina Benguigui is a French-Algerian film director. She is known for her films on gender issues in the North African immigrant community in France.-Life:... |
|
| 1998 | A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries aka "La fille d'un soldat ne pleure jamais" (France) aka "Soldier's Daughter Never Cries" (Australia: TV title) |
"Ciao amore ciao" | James Ivory James Ivory (director) James Francis Ivory is an American film director, best known for the results of his long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions, which included both Indian-born film producer Ismail Merchant, and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala... |
|
| 1999 | Novios | "Gigi l'Amoroso" | Joaquín Oristrell Joaquín Oristrell Joaquín Oristrell is a Catalan film director and screenwriter.He has written scripts to Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, Fernando Colomo and others directors before his film debut in 1997 with -Selected filmography:*El próximo oriente *Va a ser que nadie es perfecto... |
|
| 1999 | Recto/Verso | "Paroles, paroles" | Jean-Marc Longval | |
| 1999 | Tontaine et Tonton | "Il venait d'avoir 18 ans" and "Gigi l'amoroso" | Tonie Marshall | |
| 1999 | Un pont entre deux rives aka "The Bridge" | Unknown | Gérard Depardieu Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu is a French actor and filmmaker. He is a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite and has twice won the César Award for Best Actor... |
|
| 2001 | Souffle | "Buenas noches mi amor" | Muriel Coulin and Delphine Coulin | |
| 2001 | Mauvais genres aka "Transfixed" (Canada: English title: festival title) (US) aka "Bad Genres" (International: English title: festival title) aka "Gender Bias" (US) |
"Il venait d'avoir 18 ans" | Francis Girod Francis Girod Francis Girod was a French film director, actor and screenwriter. He directed 20 films between 1974 and 2006. His film L'enfance de l'art was entered into the 1988 Cannes Film Festival... |
|
| 2001 | Absolument fabuleux Absolument fabuleux Absolument fabuleux is a French comedy film, released in 2001. Written and directed by Gabriel Aghion, the film was an adaptation of the British television comedy series Absolutely Fabulous.... |
"Il venait d'avoir 18 ans" | Gabriel Aghion Gabriel Aghion -Biography:He was born in Alexandria, in Egypt on 30 December 1955.-Filmography:* La Scarlatine * Bras de Fer * Rue du Bac * Pédale douce -Biography:He was born in Alexandria, in Egypt on 30 December 1955.-Filmography:* La Scarlatine (1983)* Bras de Fer (1985)* Rue du Bac (1990)* Pédale douce... |
|
| 2001 | C'est la vie | "Darla dirladada" | Jean-Pierre Améris Jean-Pierre Améris Jean-Pierre Améris is a French film director and screenwriter. He has directed eleven films since 1993. His film Poids léger was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.-Filmography:... |
|
| 2001 | Paroles de Bibs | "Paroles, paroles" | Jocelyne Lemaire-Darnaud | |
| 20XX | La Bonne Adresse | "Pezzettini di bikini" | Gary Goldman Gary Goldman Gary Wayne Goldman is an American Film Producer, Director, Animator, Writer and voice actor, he is well known for working on films with Don Bluth like Anastasia, An American Tail and The Land Before Time... |
|
| 2002 | L'Adversaire L'Adversaire The Adversary is a 2002 French drama film directed by Nicole Garcia, starring Daniel Auteuil and Géraldine Pailhas.Based on the 2000 book of the same name by Emmanuel Carrère, it is inspired by the real-life story of Jean-Claude Romand... aka "The Adversary L'Adversaire The Adversary is a 2002 French drama film directed by Nicole Garcia, starring Daniel Auteuil and Géraldine Pailhas.Based on the 2000 book of the same name by Emmanuel Carrère, it is inspired by the real-life story of Jean-Claude Romand... " |
"Histoire d'un amour" | Nicole Garcia Nicole Garcia Nicole Garcia is a French actress, film director and writer. Her film Selon Charlie was entered into the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.-Actress:*1968: Des garçons et des filles directed by Étienne Périer... |
|
| 2003 | Perduto Amor | "Itsi bitsi petit bikini" | Franco Battiato Franco Battiato Francesco Battiato is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes... |
|
| 2005 | Dalida: Le Film | Principal singer on entire soundtrack | Joyce Buñuel | |
| 2005 | L'un reste, l'autre part | "Il venait d'avoir 18 ans" | Claude Berri Claude Berri Claude Berri , born Claude Berel Langmann, was one of the great all-rounders of French cinema: an actor, writer, producer, director and distributor. "Out of my failure as an actor was born my desire to direct. Then my relative failure as a director forced me to become a producer. In order to get my... |
|
| 2005 | The Secret Life of Words The Secret Life of Words The Secret Life of Words is a 2005 Spanish film, directed by Isabel Coixet and starring Sarah Polley and Tim Robbins. The film was released on December 15, 2006 and grossed a worldwide total of $6,410,058.-Plot:... (International: English title) (UK) (US) aka "La vida secreta de las palabras The Secret Life of Words The Secret Life of Words is a 2005 Spanish film, directed by Isabel Coixet and starring Sarah Polley and Tim Robbins. The film was released on December 15, 2006 and grossed a worldwide total of $6,410,058.-Plot:... " (Spain) aka "La vida secreta de les paraules The Secret Life of Words The Secret Life of Words is a 2005 Spanish film, directed by Isabel Coixet and starring Sarah Polley and Tim Robbins. The film was released on December 15, 2006 and grossed a worldwide total of $6,410,058.-Plot:... " (Spain: Catalan title) |
"Histoire d'un amour" | Isabel Coixet Isabel Coixet Isabel Coixet is a Spanish film director.She received an M.A. in history from the University of Barcelona... |
|
| 2006 | OSS 117, Le Caire nid d'espions OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies is a French film directed by Michel Hazanavicius. It is a parody of the spy film genre. The film follows the exploits of a French secret agent, OSS 117, in Cairo in 1955.-Plot:... aka "OSS 117, Nest of Spies OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies is a French film directed by Michel Hazanavicius. It is a parody of the spy film genre. The film follows the exploits of a French secret agent, OSS 117, in Cairo in 1955.-Plot:... " |
"Bambino" | Michel Hazanavicius | |
| 2007 | Michou D'Auber | "Bambino" | Thomas Gilou | |
| 2007 | L'Ennemi intime aka "Intimate Enemies" (Canada: English title) |
"Come prima" | Florent Emilio Siri Florent Emilio Siri Florent Emilio Siri is a French film director born in Lorraine.He studied cinema at the Sorbonne University and ESRA in Paris.... |
|
| 2008 | Mesrine : L'Instinct de mort | "Romantica" and "La Danse de Zorba" | Jean-François Richet Jean-François Richet Jean-Francois Richet is a French screenwriter, director, and producer, born on July 2, 1966 in Paris. He grew up in Meaux, a suburb east of Paris.-Selected filmography:* État des lieux - named at the César Awards 1996 in the Best Debut category.... |
|
| 2010 | Les Amours Imaginaires (Canada: Original title) aka "Heartbeats" (US) (Europe: English title: festival title) aka Fantastikes agapes (Greece: Greek title) aka Love, Imagined (International: English title) |
"Bang Bang" | Xavier Dolan Xavier Dolan Xavier Dolan , sometimes credited as Xavier Dolan-Tadros, is a Québécois actor and filmmaker, the son of Geneviève Dolan, a teacher, and Manuel Tadros, a Quebecois actor and singer of Egyptian descent... |
Theatrical productions
Several theatrical productions have been made about Dalida's life. In 1999, "Solitudini – Luigi Tenco e Dalida", written and directed by Maurizio Valtieri, was performed in Rome. "Dalida: Une Vie", directed by René Simard and under the authorisation of Orlando Productions, was performed from October 2003 to June 2006, in Quebec, Canada, and was shown in BeirutBeirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon in May 2004. In 2005, the play "Dalida, à quoi bon vivre au mois de mai ?", written by Joseph Agostini and Caroline Sourrisseau, was performed at the Ateliers Théâtre in Montmartre.
Biographies
- Dalida, by Michel Delain, Éditions de l'Heure, 1962.
- Dalida, La gloire et les larmes, by Pascal SevranPascal SevranPascal Sevran was a French TV presenter and author.-Biography:Son of a communist taxi driver, and a Spanish tailor, Pascal Sevran was born on 16 October 1945 in Paris. His real name was Jean-Claude Jouhaud. He worked as a song-writer, a singer, a TV presenter, and an author. He was openly gay...
, 1976. - 25 ans de triomphe, by Christian Page, Delmas Éditeur, 1981.
- Dalida, by Christian Page, Têtes D'affiche, 1982.
- Dalida, mon amour, by Anne Gallimard and Orlando, Édition NRJ, 1984. ISBN 2908070014 and ISBN 978-2908070019.
- Lorsque l’amour s’en va, by Catherine Benoît Sévin, Michel Lafon, 1987; Carrere, 1989. ISBN 2868044069 and ISBN 978-2908070019.
- Dalida, mon amour, by Anne Gallimard and Orlando, Édition NRJ, 1989. ISBN 2908070014 and ISBN 978-2908070019.
- Dalida mon amour, by Orlando, Hachette LittératureHachette Livre-France:*Calmann-Lévy*Deux Coqs d'Or*Disney Hachette Edition*EDICEF*Editions 1*Editions du Chêne**E.P.A*Éditions Dunod*Editions Foucher*Editions Stock*Fayard**Editions Mille et Une Nuits**Editions Mazarine**Pauvert*Gautier-Languereau*Grasset...
, 1991. ISBN 2738203620 and ISBN 978-2738203625. - Dalida, Histoire d’une femme, by Jean-François Josselin and Jeff Barnel, Jean-Claude LattèsJC Lattès-Three famous novels:* Un sac de billes of Joseph Joffo* Leo Africanus of Amin Maalouf* Le Code De Vinci of Dan Brown- Links :*...
, 1994. ISBN 2709614502 and ISBN 978-2709614504. - Les larmes de la gloire, by Bernard Pascuito, Éditions Michel Lafon, 1997. ISBN 284098301X and ISBN 978-2840983019.
- Dalida, by C. Daccache, Éditions Vade Retro, 1998. ISBN 2909828514 and ISBN 978-2909828510.
- Dalida: Mon frère, tu écriras mes mémoires, by Catherine Rihoit, PlonPlon (publisher)Plon is a French book publishing company, founded in 1852 by Henri Plon and his two brothers.The Plon family were Walloons coming from Nivelle, France. One of their ancestors is probably the Danish typographer Jehan Plon who lived at the end of the 16th century.-History:The Editions Plon were...
, 1998. - Dalida, by Catherine Rihoit, Omnibus, 1998. ISBN 2259000835 and ISBN 978-2259000833.
- Star pour toujours, by Julie Thamin, Gep, 2000.
- Dalida: Entre violon et amour, by Isaline, Éditions Publibook, 2002. ISBN 2748326296 and ISBN 978-2748326291.
- Du Nil à la scène, Jacques Brachet, Éditions Va bene and Éditions de la courtine, 2001, 2002. ISBN 2848690070 and ISBN 2913483364.
- Dalida: Une oeuvre en soi, by Michel Rheault, Nota Bene, 2002. ISBN 289518111X.
- Luigi Tenco. Vita breve e morte di un genio musicale, by Aldo Fegatelli Colonna, A. Mondadori, 2002. ISBN 880450087 and ISBN 9788804500872.
- Ciao, ciao bambina, by Henri-Jean Servat and Orlando, Éditions Albin MichelÉditions Albin MichelÉditions Albin Michel is a French publisher. It was founded in 1911 by Albin Michel.-External links:*...
, 2003. ISBN 2226142983 and ISBN 978-2226142986. - Dalida, by Catherine Rihoit, PlonPlon (publisher)Plon is a French book publishing company, founded in 1852 by Henri Plon and his two brothers.The Plon family were Walloons coming from Nivelle, France. One of their ancestors is probably the Danish typographer Jehan Plon who lived at the end of the 16th century.-History:The Editions Plon were...
, re-published 2004. ISBN 2259201806 and ISBN 978-2259201803. - D’une rive à l’autre, by David Lelait, Payot, 2004. ISBN 2228899046 and ISBN 978-2228899048.
- L’argus Dalida: Discographie mondiale et cotations, by Daniel Lesueur, Éditions Alternatives, 2004. ISBN 2862274283 and ISBN 978-2862274287.
- La véritable Dalida, by Emmanuel Bonini, Éditions Pygmalion, 2004. ISBN 2857049021 and ISBN 978-2857049029.
- Mademoiselle succès, Barclay FranceBarclay RecordsBarclay Records is a French record label founded in the mid-1950s by Eddie Barclay under the alias, Edouard Ruault. Eddie Barclay also founded the Riviera label in the early-1950s....
, 2004. UPC 602498110843. - Dalida: La femme de cœur, by Jeff Barnel, Éditions du Rocher, 2005. ISBN 2268055000 and ISBN 978-2268055008.
- Dalida: La voce e l'anima, by Giandomenico Curi, 2005. ISBN 8876416870 and ISBN 978-8876416873.
- Top Dalida, Éditions Paul Beuscher, 2005. ASIN B000ZG64FO.
- Dalida: La voce, Il suono, L'anima, by Mino Rossi, Edizioni Franciacorta, 2005. ISBN 8889364017 and ISBN 978-8889364017.
- Quasi sera: una storia di Tenco, by A. Montellanico, StampaAlternativa/NuoviEquilibri, 2005. ISBN 8872269105.
- D’une rive à l’autre, by David Lelait-Helo, Éditions J'ai Lu, 2006. ISBN 2290345679 and ISBN 978-2290345672.
- Ntaainta Dalida, Éditions Odos Panos and 20 ans sans elle, 2006.
- Dalida passionnément, by Arianne Ravier, Éditions Favre, 2006. ISBN 2828909271 and ISBN 978-2828909277.
- Dalida, by Henry-Jean Servat and Orlando, Éditions Albin MichelÉditions Albin MichelÉditions Albin Michel is a French publisher. It was founded in 1911 by Albin Michel.-External links:*...
, 2007. ISBN 2226152180 and ISBN 978-2226152183. - Dalida, tu m'appelais petite sœur…, by Jacqueline Pitchal, Éditions Carpentier Didier, 2007. ISBN 2841675041 and ISBN 978-2841675043.
- Dalida: Une vie brûlée, by Bernard Pascuito, L'Archipel, 2007. ISBN 2841879550 and ISBN 978-2841675043.
- Dalida: Une vie..., by Jacques Pessis, Célina Jauregui, Emmanuel Polle and N-T Binh, Édition Chronique, 2007. ISBN 2205060066 and ISBN 978-2205060065.
- Dalida: Le temps d'aimer, Fabien Lecœuvre, Éditions City Editions, 2007. ISBN 2352880467 and ISBN 978-2352880462.
- Luigi Tenco: Ed ora avrei mille cose da fare, by R. Tortarolo and G. Carozzi, Arcana, 2007. ISBN 887966431X and ISBN 978-8879664318.
- Dalida: Ses fans, ses amis ont la parole, by Claire Nérac and Cédric Naïmi, Éditions du Rocher, 2008. ISBN 2268065804 and ISBN 978-2268065809.
- Mia zia, ma tante Dalida, by Stéphane Julienne and Luigi Gigliotti, Ramsay ed., 2009. ISBN 2812200111 and ISBN 9782812200113.
- Dalida, le profil perdu, by Jean-Manuel Gabert, Éditions de la Belle Gabrielle, La légende de Montmartre collection, 2009. ISBN 2917269022 and ISBN 978-2917269022.
- Pour Dalida, by Colette Fellous, Flammarion ed., 2010. ISBN 2080690566 and ISBN 978-2080690562.
- Internet websites: Hit-Parade France, Hit Parade Italia, Infodisc, Official Montmartre Tourist Information Authority, Dalida Official Website.
See also
- List of Dalida songs
- Dalida albums discography
- Dalida singles discographyDalida singles discographyThe singles discography of recording artist Dalida consists of one hundred thirty-four official singles as well as one promotional singles and ??? other appearances.-1956-1970 :...
- Italian Egyptians
- Music of FranceMusic of FranceFrance has a wide variety of indigenous folk music, as well as styles played by immigrants from Africa, Latin America and Asia. In the field of classical music, France has produced a number of legendary composers, while modern pop music has seen the rise of popular French hip hop, techno/funk,...
- Paris OlympiaParis OlympiaThe Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
- Best selling music artists
- Miss Egypt beauty pageant and titleholdersMiss EgyptMiss Egypt, is an Egyptian beauty pageant that qualifies delegates to international beauty contests. The first Miss Egypt contest was held in 1929. The only winner that held the title of Miss World was Antigone Costanda in 1954. The pageant has been sponsored by the hair care company, Pantene...
- Montmartre Cemetery (French: Cimetière de Montmartre)Montmartre CemeteryMontmartre Cemetery is a cemetery in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France.-History:Cemeteries had been banned from Paris since the shutting down of the Cimetière des Innocents in 1786, as they presented health hazards...
Further reading
- Le sixième jour, by Andrée ChedidAndrée ChedidAndrée Chedid was a French poet and novelist of Lebanese descent.-Life:Chedid was born in Cairo on 20 March 1920. When she was ten, she was sent to a boarding school, where she learned English and French. At fourteen, she left for Europe. She then returned to Cairo to go...
, R. Julliard Ed., 1960, republished 1968 (Presses de la Cité), 1971 (Flammarion), 1976 (Le Livre de Poche), 1985 (Collection Castor poche), 1986 (Flammarion), 1989 (Éditions J'ai lu), 1992 (Flammarion) (Collection Vieux Fonds), ISBN 2080605577 and ISBN 978-2080605573, 1994 (Collection Librio), ISBN 2080605577 and ISBN 978-2080605573, 2003 (Flammarion) (Collection Librio), ISBN 2290337374 and ISBN 978-2290337370. - 50 ans de chanson française : de Trenet à Bruel, by Lucien Rioux, Éditions L'Archipel, 1992, republished 1994. ISBN 2909241688 and ISBN 978-2909241685.
- L'Italia di Sanremo, by Gianni Borgna, Mondadori (Milano), 1998. ISBN 8804436387 and ISBN 978-8804436386.
- La chanson française et francophone, by Pierre Saka and Yann Plougastel, Éditions Larousse, 1999. ISBN 2035113466 and ISBN 978-2035113467.
- Hit-Parades, 1950–1998, by Daniel Lesueur, Éditions Alternatives et Parallèles, 1999. ISBN 2862271837 and ISBN 978-2862271835.
- Merci les artistes !, by Maritie Carpentier and Gilbert Carpentier, Éditions Anne Carrière, 2001. ISBN 2843371481 and ISBN 978-2843371486.
- Salut les Sixties, by Jean Peigné, Éditions de Fallois, 2003. ISBN 2877064719 and ISBN 978-2877064712.
- Olympia. Bruno Coquatrix, 50 ans de Music-Hall, by Jean-Michel Boris, Jean-François Brieu and Eric Didi, Éditions Hors Collection, 2003. ISBN 2258062349 and ISBN 978-2258062344.
- L'odyssée de la chanson française, by Gilles Verlant, Dominique Duforest and Christian Eudeline, Éditions Hors Collection, 2006. ISBN 2258070872 and ISBN 978-2258070875.
- Le Roman de l'Olympia, by Pierre Philippe, Les Éditions du Toucan, 2009. ISBN 2810001138 and ISBN 978-2810001132.
- Les Années 60: Rêves et Révolutions, by Frédéric Quinonero, Éditions D. Carpentier, 2009. ISBN 2841676536 and ISBN 978-2841676538.
External links
OfficialBiographies
- Biography at RFI Musique (Radio France Internationale)
- Biography at Télé Melody
- Dalida at Billboard.com
Discography
Filmography
General
- Place Dalida at the website of the Official Montmartre Tourist Information Authority (in English), which displays images of the plaza which is named in Dalida's memory and of the statue erected in her honour.