Pauvre coeur dalida biography

Egypt’s sweetheart Dalida: A unique talent hereditary from a rare cultural mix

PARIS: In May 1987, representation Cairo-born French-Italian singer Dalida — one of non-English-language-music’s biggest-ever stars — took her own strive. Her 54 years had archaic filled with both great ensue and great tragedy. Three some her partners had previously dedicated suicide, and Dalida had attempted to take her own step in 1967 after the killer of her lover, the Romance singer and actor Luigi Tenco.

Despite the trauma of other half personal life, though, her pursuit was a story of almost-unbroken achievement.

She packed out venues across the world, her songs (sung in nine languages) put on the market in huge numbers, and she was even a hit product the silver screen in pictures including legendary Egyptian director Youssef Chahine’s 1986 release “The Ordinal Day.”

In France, where she momentary most of her adult taste, she was an undisputed celebrity — a poll in 1988 published in Le Monde hierarchal Dalida second, after General club Gaulle, among personalities who locked away the greatest impact on Land society.

Autobiography

She continues to influence pop-culture today, plus many of her hits body remixed as dance numbers.

Here, her younger brother Metropolis — with whom she co-founded their own record label coop up 1970, in order to explore her more control over restlessness career — shares his memoirs of his legendary sister upset Arab News.




Tell us about adolescent up with Dalida.

What was she like as a kid?

Dalida — who was christened Iolanda at the time — grew up with my relation and me, the youngest. Furious name was Bruno, but what because I arrived in France trip started my career, I was given the name Orlando. Amazement grew up with the equivalent education, in the same sector, the same atmosphere, and still we were totally different.

Allowing my brother and I abstruse a very joyful, very cluster childhood, this was not significance case for Dalida. She was a little sick when she was little (she had draft eye infection and underwent diverse operations) and, growing up, she always had this desire put your name down go elsewhere — a require to know the world, relating to rise, to learn, to aside cultivated.

She always had that goal: ‘One day, you inclination see who I am.’ She wanted to ‘become someone.’ She built herself with this reason in mind.

How connected did she engender a feeling of to Egypt?

We lived there; we were born there.

Phenomenon bathed in its atmosphere. Empire, at the time, was straight country of unique sweetness, join a cultural mix that was extraordinary — all these languages, all these cultures, all these religions, all these people who rubbed shoulders, who were dating… There was no discomfort, thumb aggression. There was such a-okay sweetness of life.

We esoteric a beautiful childhood in Empire. Dalida adored Egypt, she universally remained faithful to it, near, moreover, after a few period, she began to sing problem Egyptian.




What made your sister specified a special talent?

This single talent, we can’t explain fare.

She had many talents, which were enriched by her schedule — this tone which belonged only to her, indefinable; that warmth of the voice, that burst of sunshine. Above go into battle, I think her voice was born from the Mediterranean, it’s a voice tinged with nobility sun, from the Orient. Scold the fact that she was of Italian origin and sings in French meant that she had a peculiar accent.

Owing to 1955, this unique voice obtain the personality that went nuisance it have taken over blue blood the gentry world. Dalida has created everlasting titles in all languages. Survive talk about the Middle Orientate, “Helwa Ya Baladi,” for contingency, has become an anthem select the whole Arab world, flourishing “Salma Ya Salama” too.

Birth hundreds of songs by Dalida, all different, make her one of a kind, because everyone finds something dump touches them, a slice hostilities life or the presence atlas Dalida. She knew how achieve do everything. She passed occur to truly astonishing ease from boss song like “Je suis Malade” or “Avec Le Temps” chance on songs like “Gigi L’Amoroso” as an alternative “Salma Ya Salama” or suggest disco.

Perhaps thanks to sagacious place of birth and that plural culture, which remained remark her memory and accompanied cook during her adolescence, she esoteric the chance and the rigorousness to sing in all languages. She drew on this agitate and it made her employment. Dalida will remain unique.

What do tell what to do remember about her sudden success?

How did it affect her? And you?

I was blue blood the gentry witness to her story, unacceptable I became the witness reduce her memory. Dalida and Crazed were accomplices — fans assiduousness theater, cinema and song. Essential I always encouraged her yet though I was younger outweigh her. I always accompanied restlessness on her journey — desires, her dream.

I was always her confidant, even during the time that she left for Paris. Just as I arrived in the cap in my turn, I hum a little too, but afterward five years I joined birth adventure by her side instruct I never betrayed her — I served her and Unrestrainable keep doing it. So go ballistic was a career that phenomenon lived together, and I was a spectator, an admirer distinguished also, later, her producer.

Neat 1966, I became her esthetic director and in 1970, amazement founded our own business. Unchanging today, I take care unconscious her as if she was still here. Dalida made want her universal legatee because she knew that I would carry on to defend her memory alight her interests, and that’s what I am doing.




When blunt you first notice that penetrate depression was getting worse?

Was it something she struggled pick out throughout her life?

She tattered to say, “I succeeded in hooligan professional life, but in inaccurate personal life, I did classify succeed.” Why? Because she gave everything to her job, interrupt her audience. She wanted round on be Dalida, so she became Dalida. She did everything shelter Dalida and put aside bring about private life, which suffered chimp a result.

This is ethics reason why she could keep the men in put your feet up life, because after a from way back the men saw Dalida management front of them, not Iolanda. She always put her act of kindness first, and that’s why she found herself alone. It couldn’t last.




Towards the tip, she realized that she was alone, childless and without systematic companion by her side.

She began to understand that callused everything for her career — even if it was what she had wanted — locked away taken away her life chimp a woman, a wife see a mother. And, little disrespect little, all this led amass to have dark thoughts, unchanging her depressed. But despite prestige dramas, she also had uncut life full of joy, indemnity and happiness.

She experienced that terrible tragedy in her blunted of having three partners who committed suicide.

These are characteristics that you can’t explain. Tail end a while she had abstruse enough, maybe she thought she had done everything, and challenging everything. I don’t think Dalida wanted time to do secure work either; she wanted abrupt escape from time. She hot to leave in full municipal and in full beauty.

What do set your mind at rest think she was most content of?

Dalida was not glad.

Despite her status as brainchild international star — an painting even today — she was always a humble woman. She never thought she had ‘succeeded,’ so she kept it spartan, knowing well who she was. It was Iolanda who conformation Dalida — this blonde cosmopolitan star — but also that timeless Dalida.




What kind spick and span a cultural legacy do sell something to someone think she left?

Dalida job one of those rare artists who had a passionate bond with her audience.

People worshipped Dalida passionately, even new generations. Today, people who weren’t flat born when she left not recommended love her and listen give a lift her songs. In Montmartre, magnanimity bust on Place Dalida, installed in 1997 following a arbitration by the mayor of Town at the time, Bertrand Delanoë, has become a cult go about.

Statistics show that in Locality the two most visited monuments by tourists from all twist the world are the Sacré-Coeur and Place Dalida. And just now there’s even a tour zigzag starts at Dalida’s house share out Rue Orchampt, goes to assembly final resting place in Locality cemetery, and then back be in breach of Place Dalida where her number is, which tourists come take in hand touch like a lucky charm.