Yolande Christina Gigliotti was born in Choubra, a district of Cairo on 17 January 1933 the child of Italian immigrants from Calabria. Her father played the violin at Cairo Opera House. At the time no one could have guessed what an incredible career lay in front of her. The ugly duckling would grow into an attractive woman capturing the hearts of men.

In 1954 she won the beauty contest Miss Ondina, but her career really got off to a good start when in that same year 21-year-old Yolande was elected Miss Egypt. Soon after she appeared in the film Sigara wa Kass (A Glass and a Cigarette) She also played opposite Omar Sharif as a double for Joan Collins in a film that was released as The Land of the Pharaohs (Joseph and his Brothers was the working title when Rita Hayworth was to play the lead).

On 24 December 1956 she boarded a plane for Paris desperate to become an actress. She got herself a room in the rue Ponthieu, but soon moved to the rue Jean Mermoz where she had Alain Delon as a neighbour.

In 1956 she appeared in the programme Les Numéros Uns de Demain at the Olympia hall in Paris and got immense applause. It was there that she met Bruno Coquatrix, Eddie Barclay and Lucien Morisse, who would guide her career from then onwards. She recorded her first song Madonna, the French version of Amalia Rodiguez’s Barcon Negro.

From then on she called herself Dalida. She previously called herself Dalila (Delilah), and was billed as such in Sigara wa Kass. The music scene in Paris was smitten by her. Her early recordings, especially second single Bambino brought her instant fame all over France. The rest of Europe would soon follow.

In March 1957, she was the supporting act when Charles Aznavour played the Olympia. In September of the same year, after having pocketed another smash hit with Gondolier she returned to Olympia, this time as supporting act of Gilbert Becaud. In 1957 she also made the film Brigade des Moeurs and in 1958 she appeared in the German film Mädchen für die Mambo-Bar.

By 1958 over 500 000 copies of Bambino and Gondolier had been sold. She starred in another movie Rapt au Deuxième Bureau. She received the Bravos du Music-Hall award together with Yves Montand for having sold over 7 million records. In 1959 the press announced her engagement to Lucien Morisse.

1960 would be an exceptionally successful year for the singer who by now was recording songs in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Hebrew and Arab. She received four gold records, performed live in Spain and Germany (where she topped the charts for six months with the ballad Am Tag als der Regen kam), played a part in Parle-Moi d'Amour and recorded Les Enfants du Pirée.

On 8 April 1961 she married her discoverer and mentor Lucien Morisse, but three months later she met painter Jean Sobieski in Cannes, fell head over heels in love and decided to elope with him. The French press turned against her choosing Morisse’s side in the matter. The marriage broke up a few months later. Lucien Morisse would commit suicide in the 1970s. Dalida was now primarily making headlines with her private life. Record sales were falling back. Her private life was a mess. Left to her own devices without the ever-present support of the press and without the guidance of her former mentor, Dalida could only rely on her belief in her talent.

It was a scared and nervous Dalida that presented herself on stage at the Olympia that evening on 6 December 1961. She was aware that a major part of the audience still had hostile feelings towards her and then there was also the risk of losing credibility because she had decided to change her musical style in response to rapidly changing musical fashions. On that memorable night Dalida showed what she was made of. After the initial icy moments confronting the public her rich, emotional voice managed to win the audience over again. It was sheer triumph, from now on nothing or no-one would ever pose a threat to her career again. She was awarded the prize for best song of 1961 beating Edith Piaf.

In 1962 she visited Italy and was received as a queen in the little village of Serrastreta in Calabria from which her parents originated. She was given an honorary citizenship. She travelled to Saigon and Montreal with Jean Sobieski. She recorded Le Petit Gonzalez. In 1963 she starred in L'Inconnue de Hong Kong with Serge Gainsbourg. Later that year she broke up with Jean Sobieski.

In 1964 she received a platinum record for having sold over 10 million records becoming the first woman to accomplish this. She did a tour of France wrapping it up at the Olympia in Paris. In 1965 she recorded La Danse de Zorba and made the Italian film Menage all'Italiana with Ugo Tognazzi.

In 1966 she celebrated her 10th anniversary on stage in Rome by participating in the Canzonissima festival. Dalida was the biggest-selling female singer in Italy: she had number 1s with La Danza di Zorba, Il Silenzio and Bang Bang. In October of 1966 she met young Italian singer Luigi Tenco and fell madly in love. At the San Remo festival In January 1967 Dalida sponsored Tenco’s song Ciao Amore Ciao. The song, far too complicated for its day, didn’t win. Tenco couldn’t cope with the defeat and killed himself. Dalida and Luigi Tenco were due to have been married in April 1967. She was grief-stricken and from then on started having nightmares. In his honour she sang Ciao Amore Ciao at the Guy Lux Festival early February. On 27 February, a month after Luigi, she tried committing suicide by taking sleeping pills. She was however found in time and rescued. Once more she had to rise from the depths. On 5 October she performed Luigi’s song Loin Dans le Temps at the Olympia.

In 1967 she had Italian hits with Mamma and Ciao Amore Ciao. She started to mix up her repertoire singing at the same time easy, happy songs whilst also taking on serious songs by authors like Léo Ferré. Her brother Orlando Gigliotti stepped in to take care of her artistic career.

In 1968 she filmed Io Ti Amo in Italy. She had more Italian hits with L'Ultimo Valzer and Oh Lady Mary. She toured Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, the Antilles and Japan. She studied in an ashram in Nepal in 1967 and 1968.. She recorded Darla Dirladada, 75 000 copies of which were sold in less than a week.

On 18 September 1971 her mother died. On 29 September she sang Avec le Temps by Léo Ferré live on television. She did some shows in Beirut in Lebanon. In 1972 she met Richard Chambray (aka le Comte de Saint Germain) with whom she started a relationship. She recorded the French theme of The Godfather.

The hits started following each other up in quick succession : Paroles Paroles with Alain Delon (nr 1 in Japan), Il Venait d’Avoir 18 Ans (3 million copies sold), Je Suis Malade de Serge Lama. In 1974 she received the Oscar Mondial for Gigi l’Amoroso (nr 1 in 9 countries, translated into many languages-- even a Japanese version was recorded but, to date, remains unissued-- platinum record in the Benelux countries), Et de l'Amour… de l'Amour and J'Attendrai (first disco record made in France).

in 1976 she recorded Amoureuse de la Vie, written by Gilbert Becaud, and re-recorded Jacques Brel's Quand on n'a que l'Amour. Performances in Paris, Prague, Canada and Lebanon. She filmed Comme sur des Roulettes, a musical comedy and a TV movie Dalida pour Toujours. On 29 November 1979 she filled Carnegie Hall in New York.

in 1980 she filled the Palais des Sports from 5 to 20 January with a show put together by Lester Wilson before taking the show on a tour throughout France. In 1981 she celebrated her 25th showbiz anniversary at the Olympia where she was presented with a diamond record for having sold 86 million records worldwide along with 38 gold records for songs recorded in 7 languages. In 1985 she recorded Le Visage de l'Amour written especially for her by Charles Trenet. Dalida had sold over 100 million records worldwide, 55 gold records, one platinum record and one diamond record (only woman in Europe).

Things turned quiet then. Dalida was tired. 30 years of highs and lows had left their mark. In 1986 she came full circle when she returned to her home town Cairo to be received by enthusiastic masses. Once again she had taken on another role, this time as an actress in Youssef Chahine’s fim The Sixth Day (Le Sixième Jour - Yawm al-sadis). Covering her lush mane in a black veil she played a poor washerwoman. She made two versions of the film, one in Arabic, one in French, and for a brief moment felt reborn. Back home she withdrew, she lowered the blinds of her bedroom, sold her car and changed her will.

Life had nothing more to offer her, so on 3 May 1987 Dalida took her life with sleeping pills. All she left was a note saying "Life has become unbearable ... forgive me".

Today, more than 10 years after her lonesome death, she continues to fill her fans with enthusiasm for her music and legend. She is one of those rare women that will never be forgotten.

 

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