Profile of Dalida on Famous Like Me

Dalida (January 17, 1933 - May 3, 1987) was an Egyptian-born singer, of Italian origin, making her career in France.

Born Yolande Christina Gigliotti of Italian parents in Shoubra, a district of Cairo, Egypt, she was the child of an opera violinist and was given singing lessons at an early age. She developed into a beautiful young lady, and in 1954 she won the Miss Egypt beauty contest and immediately left for Paris, France, to pursue a career in motion pictures.

Despite her looks, her first films were less than successful, but she began performing in music halls and cabarets, singing in French, Italian and other languages. Using the stage name, "Dalida", she recorded songs, her second single titled "Bambino" brought instant fame. In 1957, she appeared at the Paris Olympia as the opening act for Charles Aznavour and later the same year for Gilbert Bécaud. She would go on to record in several languages, touring the globe including sold-out performances, in late-1978, at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

During her career, Dalida recorded 500 French songs, 200 of which were translated into Italian, and 200 into other languages. She sold more than 80 million records world-wide, winning numerous awards, scoring 55 gold records. Yet, despite her fame and fortune, her personal life was difficult and filled with much drama and tragedy. In 1961 she married her mentor Lucien Morisse, but the marriage lasted only a few months when she left him for the painter Jean Sobieski (later the father of American actress Leelee Sobieski). A few years later, her still distraught ex-husband died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

In 1967 her new lover, the Italian singer, Luigi Tenco also took his own life and Dalida too attempted suicide. She was living with the flamboyant and less than reputable, Richard Chanfray (referred to as the Comte de St Germain) when he took his own life in July 1983. She recovered from these tragedies and continued to perform but by her own accounts, life had little meaning and she spent years searching for personal fulfillment, including traveling to Nepal to study the Hindu religion.

On May 3, 1987 she died as a result of an overdose of sleeping pills leaving behind a suicide note that said: "Life has become unbearable ... forgive me."

Dalida is buried in the Cimetière de Montmartre, Paris, her gilded life-size statue one of the most outstanding of the many sculpted works in the famous cemetery.

In 1997, the angle of the rues Girardon and Abreuvoir in the Butte Montmartre in Paris was inaugurated as "Place Dalida" and is where a life-size bust was erected to her memory. In 2001, the French government honored her memory with her image on a postage stamp.

Filmography

• Joseph and his brothers - (1954) with Omar Sharif
• The mask of Toutankhamon - (1954)
• Sigara we Kass /A glass and a cigarette - (1954)
• Brigade des moeurs - (1957)
• Rapt au deuxième bureau - (1958)
• Parlez moi d'amour - (1960)
• L'inconnue de Hong Kong - (1963) with Serge Gainsbourg
• Ménage à l'Italienne - (1965)
• Io to amo - (1968)
• Comme sur des roulettes - (1977)
• Dalida pour toujours - (documentary, 1977)
• Le sixième jour / The Sixth Day - (1986) - Youssef Chahine

Her hit/best songs from all over the world (1956-1987)

• (Manuel Benitez) El Cordobes (1966)
• À ma manière (1980)
• À qui? (1967)
• Aghani Aghani (1982)
• Am tag als der Regen Kam (1959/1982)
• Americana (1981)
• Amore Scusami (1964)
• Amoureuse de la vie (1977)
• Anima Mia (1974)
• Aranjuez la tua voce (1967)
• Avant de te connaître (1970)
• Avec le temps (1971)
• Bambino (1956)
• Bang Bang (1966)
• Besame Mucho (Embrasse-moi) (1976)
• Buenas Noches mi Amor (1957)
• C'est mieux comme ça (Le Parrain 2) (1975)
• C'était mon ami (1984)
• Captain Sky (1977)
• Chanteur des années 80 (1980)
• Chaque instant de chaque jour (1964)
• Ciao Amore, Ciao (1967)
• Ciao, Ciao Bambina (1959)
• Come Prima (Tu me donnes) (1958))
• Comme disait Mistinguett (1979)
• Concerto pour une voix (1970)
• Confidences sur la fréquence (1982)
• Ça me fait rêver (1978) - with Bruno Guillain
• Dan Dan Dan (1968)
• Dans le bleu du ciel bleu (1958)
• Danza (1982)
• Darla Dirladada (1970)
• Et de l'amour... de l'amour (1975) - with Richard Chanfrey as "St-Germain"
• Eux (1963)
• Femme (1983)
• Femme est la nuit (1977)
• Fini, la comédie (1981)
• Gamil El Soura (1983)
• Garde-moi la dernière danse (1961
• Génération 78 (1978) - with Bruno Guillain
• Gigi l'Amoroso (1974)
• Gigi in Paradisco (1980)
• Gondolier (1958)
• Guitare et tambourin (1958)
• Hava Naguila (1958)
• Helwa Ya Baladi (1979)
• Hene Ma Tov (1965)
• Histoire d'un amour (1957)
• Il faut danser reggae (1979)
• Il pleut sur Bruxelles (1981)
• Il Silenzio (Bonsoir mon amour) (1965)
• Il venait d'avoir 18 ans / 18 Anni / He must have been eighteen (1973)
• Ils ont changé ma chanson (1970)
• Itsi bitsi petit bikini (1960)
• J'ai rêvé (1959)
• J'attendrai / Tornerai (1975)
• Je l'attends (1962)
• Je m'endors dans tes bras (1968)
• Je pars (1958)
• Je reviens te chercher (1967)
• Je suis malade (1973)
• Je suis toutes les femmes (1980)
• Jouez Bouzouki (1982)
• Kalimba de Luna (1984)
• L'amour et moi (1981)
• L'An 2005 (1969)
• L'Arlequin de Tolède / Arlecchino (1960)
• L'Innamorata (1984)
• L'ultimo valzer (1967)
• La chanson du Mundial '82 (1982)
• La colpa e tua (1971)
• La Danse de Zorba / La Danza di Zorba (1965/1986)
• La leçon de Twist (1962)
• La Mamma (1975, inedit 1996)
• La Sainte Totoche (1965)
• La vie en rose (1965/1976)
• Lady d'Arbanville (1970)
• Le Flamenco (1965)
• Le jour du retour (1963)
• Le jour le plus long (1962)
• Le jour où la pluie viendra (1958/1982)
• Le Lambeth Walk / The Lambeth Walk (1978)
• Le petit bonheur (1976)
• Le petit Gonzalès (1962)
• Le promesse d'amore (1969)
• Le restaurant italien (1983)
• Le sixième jour (1986)
• Le temps d'aimer (1985)
• Le temps des fleurs (1968)
• Le Vénitien de Levallois (1985)
• Les anges noirs (1968)
• Les choses de l'amour (1971)
• Les enfants du Pirée (1960)
• Les Gitans (1958)
• Les hommes de ma vie (1986)
• Les grilles de ma maison (1967)
• Les p'tits mots (1983)
• Love in Portofino (1959)
• Lucas (1983)
• Ma vie je la chante (1974)
• Mama (1967)
• Maman, la plus belle du monde (1957)
• Marjolaine (1981)
• Mein Lieber Herr (1975)
• Milord (1960)
• Monday, Tuesday... Laissez-moi danser / Let me dance tonight (1979)
• Mourir sur scène (1983)
• Ne lui dis pas (1975)
• Nuits d'Espagne (1961)
• Nostlagie (1981)
• Oh! Lady Mary (1969)
• Ô Sole Mio (1960)
• Parce que je ne t'aime plus (1986)
• Parle plus bas (Le Parrain) (1972)
• Parlez-moi de lui (1966)
• Paroles... Paroles... (1973) - with Alain Delon
• Petit homme (1966)
• Pour ne pas vivre seul (1972)
• Pour te dire je t'aime (1984)
• Problemorama (L'argent... l'argent...) (1979)
• Quand je n'aime plus je m'en vais (1981)
• Quand on n'a que l'amour (1957/1979)
• Quand s'arrêtent les violons (1977)
• Que sont devenues les fleurs? (1962)
• Remember... c'était loin (1977) - with Richard Chanfrey as "St-Germain"
• Reviens-moi (1985)
• Rio do Brasil (1980)
• Romantica (1960)
• Salma Ya Salama (1977)
• Si j'avais des millions (1968)
• Soleil / Mediterraneo (1984)
• T'aimer follement (1960)
• Ta femme (1974)
• Ti Amo (Je t'aime) (1977)
• Tony (1982)
• Tu croiras (1963)
• Tu n'as pas très bon caractère (1957)
• Un po d'amore (1968)
• Une femme à quarante ans (1981)
• Vado Via (1973)
• Vedrai Vedrai (1979)
• Viva la pappa (1965)
• Voilà pourquoi je chante (1978)

Discography (no single, no compilation)

• 1957 Son Nom Est Dalida
• 1957 Miguel
• 1958 Gondolier
• 1958 Les Gitans
• 1959 Le disque d'or de Dalida
• 1959 Love in Portofino (A San Cristina)
• 1960 Les enfants du Pirée
• 1961 Garde-moi la dernière danse
• 1961 Loin de moi
• 1961 Milord (realised in Italy)
• 1962 Le petit Gonzalès
• 1963 Eux
• 1964 Amore Scusami (Amour excuse-moi)
• 1965 Il Silenzio (Bonsoir mon amour)
• 1966 Pensiamoci Ogni Sera (realised in Italy)
• 1967 Olympia 67 (live)
• 1967 Ciao amore, ciao (realised in Italy)
• 1968 Un po' d'amore (realised in Italy)
• 1968 Le temps des fleurs
• 1969 Canta in Italiano (realised in Italy)
• 1969 Ma mère me disait
• 1970 Ils ont changé ma chanson
• 1971 Une vie
• 1972 Olympia 71 (live)
• 1972 Il faut du temps
• 1973 Sings in Italian for you (realised in Italy)
• 1973 Julien
• 1974 Olympia 74 (live)
• 1974 Manuel
• 1975 Sempre piu' (realised in Italy)
• 1975 J'attendrai
• 1976 Coup de chapeau au passé
• 1977 Femme est la nuit
• 1977 Olympia 77 (live)
• 1977 Pour toujours (Bande originale du film) (soundtrack)
• 1977 Salma ya salama
• 1978 Génération 78 / Voilà pourquoi je chante / Ça me fait rêver
• 1979 Dédié à toi (Monday Tuesday)
• 1980 Gigi in Paradisco
• 1980 Le spectacle du Palais des Sports 1980 (live)
• 1981 Olympia 81 (live)
• 1982 Spécial Dalida
• 1982 Mondialement vôtre
• 1983 Les p'tits mots
• 1984 Dali
• 1986 Le visage de l'amour
• 1987 Tigani Bi Arab (realised in Egypt)
• 1995 Comme si j'étais là... (remix album)
• 1996 À ma manière (remix album)
• 1997 Olympia 1959 (live inedit)
• 1997 L'an 2005 (remix album)
• 1998 Le rêve oriental (remix album)
• 2001 Révolution 5° du nom (remix album)

Dalida as a Disco Star

In 1975, Dalida was already a popular singer in all the world. She has tried many types of music : pop music, italian style, rock & roll, ballad, and even some psychedelic influenced songs, etc... But this time, she wanted to tried something new and here it came J'attendrai, the first disco song (and big translatantic hit) in french language. With the success, she continued in the same way next year with a disco album. Her best disco hit is Monday, Tuesday... Laissez-moi danser (translate in english as Let me dance tonight). Her last known 'real' disco song is Americana in 1981, even if, in 1982, she covers a song from a 70's disco group, Jouez Bouzouki a sort of Greek-flavored disco-pop.

Here is the list of her disco songs from 1975 to 1982 :

- disco -

• 1975 J'attendrai
• 1976 Besame mucho (Embrasse-moi)
• 1976 Tu m'as déclaré l'amour
• 1976 Les feuilles mortes
• 1976 Amor Amore (Amour c'est tout dire)
• 1976 Tico Tico
• 1977 Quand s'arrêtent les violons
• 1978 Génération 78
• 1978 Ça me fait rêver
• 1979 Monday, Tuesday... Laissez-moi danser
• 1979 Let me dance tonight
• 1980 Gigi in Paradisco
• 1980 Money Money

- italian-flavoured disco -

• 1976 Le petit bonheur

- mellow disco -

• 1977 Femme est la nuit
• 1979 Problemorama (L'argent, l'argent...)
• 1979 Va, va, va

- disco reggae -

• 1979 Il faut danser reggae

- Latino-flavored disco -

• 1980 Rio do Brasil
• 1981 Americana

- Greek-flavored disco -

• 1982 Jouez Bouzouki

Dalida as a New Wave music singer

An article will come later. For the moment, here is the list of new wave songs by Dalida from 1980 to 1987 (to come really soon).

This content from Wikipedia is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Dalida