Biography of Dalida

The fragility of determination

January 17, 1933
May 3, 1987
Yolanda Gigliotti, known by the stage name of Dalida was born on January 17, 1933, to parents who emigrated from Italy (Serrastretta, Catanzaro) in Egypt, in Choubrah, a small suburb at the gates of Cairo. His childhood is disrupted by an eye disorder that forces him to wear glasses and making it slightly squinting. Start getting noticed for her good looks already 17 years winning the beauty contest "Miss Ondine". Then she became Miss Egypt: the victory offers you the opportunity to start making their way into the movie business. In the movie "Joseph et ses frères" (Joseph and his brothers, with Omar Sharif) lends her voice for dubbing Rita Hayworth; reads then in 1954 in the movie "The Masque de Toutankhamon" (the mask of Tutankhamun) by Marc de Gastyne and in the film "Un verre, une cigarette (Sigara wa kass, a glass, a cigarette).
On 24 December takes a plane to Paris and stay in a hotel room in the rue de Ponthieu. It's the 1956 when, inspired by the film "Samson and Delilah", decides to adopt the stage name Dalila; will Fred Machard, scriptwriter of "Villa d'Este", to advise you to replace the second ' l ' with'd ', of God the father, and she accepts: will forever Dalida, a name that means dance, joy and fun. In the same year he recorded his first 45 rounds with "Madona", the French version of "Barco negro", success of Portuguese Amalia Rodriguez. It also records "baby" (translation of the Neapolitan song "Guaglione"), launched by "Radio Europe 1", and by its Director Lucien Morisse, whose Dalida falls.
In two years are more than 500,000 copies of disks of Dalida sold in France. She starred in "Rapt au Deuxième Bureau" (Kidnapping at the second Office) by Jean Stelli, with Frank Villard. Performs in a recital in Cairo; Italian-French version of "sing as before" (for which he receives a prize Bobino in), "rain", by Domenico Modugno and success "Gypsies" ("Les Gitans"), remake of a Spanish song. Dalida became known in Italy singing "Gypsies" during "Moustafa," tv broadcast conducted by Mario Riva; engraves "the song of Orpheus" and my Lord, then brought to success, in Italian, by Milva. In 1959 gets the Oscar della canzone (ex-aequo with Tino Rossi). One year after it receives the Radio Monte Carlo Oscar favorite as lookouts by listeners; also receives the Grand Prix song for interpreting in French of "romantic", from San Remo Festival 1960. Engraves "Les enfants du Pirée" (engraved in Italian as "one to me one to you"), "O sole mio" (traditional Neapolitan reason), "arlecchino gitano", "t'aimer follement" (in Italian "T ' amerò dolcemente"), "Garde-moi la Dernière danse" (in Italian "close dance with me"). The wedding April 8, 1961 Lucien Morisse in front of the Mayor of the 16th arrondissement of Paris. A few months later meet in Cannes Jean Sobieski, young and beautiful painter, whose falls. Dalida leaves Died and he moved with the new love in Neuilly.
With Charles Aznavour wins the Oscar for 1961 song, ahead of Gloria Lasso and Edith Piaf. Three years later is the first woman to win the Platinum for selling over 10 million records. Also in 1964 following the Tour de France (will be won by Jacques Anquetil), singing more than 2000 songs along 29300 KMS. In 1965 the results of a national survey say that favorite French singer Dalida; in the same year she acted in "Menage all'italiana" (starring Ugo Tognazzi, Romina Power and Paola Borboni, music by Ennio Morricone), affects "La danse de Zorba" (in Italian "Zorba's dance"), on a basis to sirtaki, "Amore scusami" (cover of a hit by John Foster), "we begin to love each other" and "La vie en rose", historical workhorse of Edith Piaf, who died two years earlier. After a 3-year history with Christian de la Mazière, in 1966 establishes a relationship with the Italian Luigi Tenco.
The Festival of San Remo, who had courted in previous years, in 1967 hosts Dalida singing along with Luigi Tenco "Ciao amore Ciao", written by Tenco: Dalida will affect the song in French, while keeping the same title. Struck by the beauty of the song, appears to have been the same Dalida convinced the Piedmontese songwriter to attend the event; even the organizers, who had excluded in first isn't, they then attend the Festival because most don't take part threatened to Dalida. The jury then delete "Ciao amore Ciao" and on 26 January Luigi Tenco commits suicide with a shot to his head. That's Dalida that entering the hotel room of Tenco finds it aimed for Earth. The singer, who wanted to stop the Festival, organizers will leave San Remo.
On 26 February Dalida tries to commit suicide in Paris in a very lucid: pretends to go to Orly airport to mislead his staff, rent the room 410 at the hotel "Prince of Wales", using his name Yolanda Gigliotti, hangs on the door the ticket on which is written "Please do not disturb" and ingests many drugs having written three letters : a former husband, a mother in which says not to despair, and one to the public who adored. A maid, suspicious that a light burning seeping from the door of the room, not tidied up by 48 hours, warns the manager who enters from another room and find Dalida in coma. After five days the singer comes out of coma and save. A year later participates in "Partitissima" (formerly "Canzonissima") and WINS with "Dan Dan dan". Withdrawing the prize, Dalida says "somebody up there is happy" referring evidently to Luigi Tenco. It's a win and suffered chat: chat because it is considered "political" due more to the enormous publicity that attempted suicide has procured that actual merits; suffered on a personal level, for Dalida in this period is deciding whether or not to hold the baby who is carrying, the result of an ephemeral adventure. Decides not to complete the pregnancy because her emotional conditions wouldn't allow it. In the same year she acted in Italy she starred in "I love you", film by Antonio Margheriti with Alberto Lupo.
On June 18, 1968 obtains the title of "Commander of Arts, Sciences and letters", given by French President Charles De Gaulle, and on December 5 is the first woman to receive the Medal of the Presidency of the Republic. In 1969 Dalida falls in love with a boy of 22 years Italian named Lucio, but the pressures of his staff--fearing a scandal-the lead soon to desist from continuing the story. A year later, Dalida goes in Nepal and stay in an ashram to study the Hindu religion, and devote yourself intensely looking inward. In 1975 the Quebec Appoints Dalida "most popular character," after Elvis Presley, and "woman of the year" along with Jackie Kennedy. The career is increasingly triumphant, but the pain of living occurs in 1977 and pushes back Dalida to attempt suicide. In 1981 Dalida celebrates 25-year career with the delivery of a diamond disc for having sold 86 million records worldwide and for portraying ben 38 Gold records in 7 languages. At the beginning of 1986 Dalida leaves for Egypt, where she starred in the film "Le Sixième Jour" (the sixth day, Youssef Chahine): this is the first time that Dalida recites a lead role. Returns to Paris and declares that, after reviewing the places of his childhood, is tired and unable to resume life and rhythms. Taking advantage of the long bridge during the labor day weekend, Dalida architect a polished surface and disarming: Saturday May 2, 1987 Dalida calls his brother-manager Orlando that announces that it has postponed a planned shoot due to cold weather; in the evening, the singer tells the waitress who will later because he intends to go to the theater and asked her to wake her up at about 5 p.m. the next day. In fact, with the car goes around the block, then barricade themselves in his villa in the rue of Orchamps and ingesting a cocktail of barbiturates. In Montmartre, on May 3, 1987, Dalida takes her own life, twenty years after the first attempt and ten from the second.
Beside the body leaves just a note: "my life is unbearable. Forgive me". Among the first to discover the tragedy there is his brother Orlando, appointed heir and guardian today intransigent image of Dalida. Dalida's death leaves in shock the whole France; at the funeral, the historian Claude Manceron (officially on behalf of President François-Marie Mitterrand, actually speaking for the entire nation) greets her saying, "Yolanda goodbye. Dalida thanks.". Dalida rests in the Montmartre cemetery in Paris.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.