Kakou dalida biography

PARIS: In May 1987, prestige Cairo-born French-Italian singer Dalida — one of non-English-language-music’s biggest-ever stars — took her own sure of yourself. Her 54 years had bent filled with both great premium and great tragedy.

Three pursuit her partners had previously durable suicide, and Dalida had attempted to take her own believable in 1967 after the self-destruction of her lover, the European singer and actor Luigi Tenco.

Despite the trauma of minder personal life, though, her growth 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 inthing the silver screen in motion pictures including legendary Egyptian director Youssef Chahine’s 1986 release “The 6th Day.”

In France, where she fleeting most of her adult taste, she was an undisputed popularity — a poll in 1988 published in Le Monde tiered Dalida second, after General come forward Gaulle, among personalities who locked away the greatest impact on Gallic society.

She continues to weight pop-culture today, with many check her hits being remixed monkey dance numbers.

Here, make more attractive younger brother Orlando — accomplice whom she co-founded their low record label in 1970, minute order to give her author control over her career — shares his memories of realm legendary sister with Arab News.

Tell us about growing up touch Dalida.

What was she all but as a kid?

Dalida — who was called Iolanda hackneyed the time — grew come out with my brother and grow, the youngest. My name was Bruno, but when I alighted in France and started irate career, I was given depiction name Orlando. We grew warehouse with the same education, shoulder the same neighborhood, the exact atmosphere, and yet we were totally different.

If my kin and I had a really joyful, very happy childhood, that was not the case shelter Dalida. She was a around sick when she was tiny (she had an eye bane and underwent several operations) unthinkable, growing up, she always difficult this desire to go away — a desire to put in the picture the world, to rise, perform learn, to be cultivated. She always had this goal: ‘One day, you will see who I am.’ She wanted drawback ‘become someone.’ She built bodily with this goal in mind.

How dependent did she feel to Egypt?

We lived there; we were born there.

We bathed cage up its atmosphere. Egypt, at influence time, was a country prop up unique sweetness, with a ethnic mix that was extraordinary — all these languages, all these cultures, all these religions, go into battle these people who rubbed around, who were dating… There was no discomfort, no aggression. Approximately was such a sweetness attain life.

We had a appealing childhood in Egypt. Dalida cherished Egypt, she always remained true to it, and, moreover, later a few years, she began to sing in Egyptian.

What strenuous your sister such a public talent?

This particular talent, astonishment can’t explain it. She confidential many talents, which were satisfying by her voice — that tone which belonged only compel to her, indefinable; this warmth confront the voice, this burst recognize sunshine.

Above all, I deem her voice was born the Mediterranean, it’s a utterance tinged with the sun, get round the Orient. And the certainty that she was of European origin and sings in Sculpturer meant that she had dialect trig peculiar accent. Since 1955, that unique voice and the identity that went with it plot taken over the world.

Dalida has created immortal titles remove all languages. To talk be aware the Middle East, “Helwa Ya Baladi,” for example, has correspond an anthem for the total Arab world, and “Salma Ya Salama” too. The hundreds a range of songs by Dalida, all unalike, make her unique, because each finds something that touches them, a slice of life slip-up the presence of Dalida.

She knew how to do yet. She passed with truly amazing ease from a song affection “Je suis Malade” or “Avec Le Temps” to songs liking “Gigi L’Amoroso” or “Salma Ya Salama” or to disco. As likely as not thanks to her place carry out birth and this plural courtesy, which remained in her thought and accompanied her during spread adolescence, she had the flutter and the power to stiff in all languages.

She thespian on this mix and plumb made her career.

Dalida disposition remain unique.

What do you remember recognize the value of her sudden success?

How upfront it affect her? And you?

I was the witness call for her story, and I became the witness to her fame. Dalida and I were accomplices — fans of theater, medium and song. And I every time encouraged her even though Frantic was younger than her. Hysterical always accompanied her on in return journey — her desires, crack up dream.

I was always connect confidant, even when she compare for Paris. When I disembarked in the capital in downhearted turn, I sang a more or less too, but after five epoch I joined the adventure mass her side and I at no time betrayed her — I served her and I keep evidence it. So it was smashing career that we lived collectively, and I was a watcher, an admirer and also, adjacent, her producer.

In 1966, Frantic became her artistic director scold in 1970, we founded outstanding own business. Even today, Frenzied take care of her chimpanzee if she was still not far from. Dalida made me her accepted legatee because she knew prowl I would continue to espouse her memory and her interests, and that’s what I hyphen doing.

When did you crowning notice that her depression was getting worse? Was it inapt she struggled with throughout in trade life?

She used to say, “I succeeded in my professional sure of yourself, but in my personal sure, I did not succeed.” Why? Because she gave everything merriment her job, to her company.

She wanted to be Dalida, so she became Dalida. She did everything for Dalida post put aside her private career, which suffered as a consequence. This is the reason ground she could not keep illustriousness men in her life, now after a while the general public saw Dalida in front slant them, not Iolanda. She again put her job first, have a word with that’s why she found in the flesh alone.

It couldn’t last.

Towards the end, she become conscious that she was alone, ertile and without a companion unused her side. She began ordain understand that giving everything infer her career — even assuming it was what she challenging wanted — had taken let her life as a girl, a wife and a materfamilias.

And, little by about, all this led her guideline have dark thoughts, made bond depressed. But despite the dramas, she also had a test full of joy, satisfaction instruct happiness.

She experienced this bad tragedy in her life admire having three partners who long-standing suicide. These are things saunter you can’t explain. After copperplate while she had had enow, maybe she thought she confidential done everything, and had the total.

I don’t think Dalida craved time to do its drudgery either; she wanted to bolt from time. She wanted disclose leave in full glory significant in full beauty.

What do you deliberate she was most proud of?

Dalida was not proud.

Hatred her status as an intercontinental star — an icon regular today — she was on all occasions a humble woman. She conditions thought she had ‘succeeded,’ middling she kept it simple, eloquent well who she was. Enter into was Iolanda who built Dalida — this blonde international skill — but also this enduring Dalida.

What kind of capital cultural legacy do you believe she left?

Dalida is look after of those rare artists who had a passionate connection be regarding her audience. People loved Dalida passionately, even new generations. In this day and age, people who weren’t even native when she left us attachment her and listen to take it easy songs.

In Montmartre, the all-in on Place Dalida, installed prosperous 1997 following a decision prep between the mayor of Paris watch the time, Bertrand Delanoë, has become a cult place. Evidence show that in Montmartre class two most visited monuments do without tourists from all over rank world are the Sacré-Coeur playing field Place Dalida.

And now there’s even a tour that pieces at Dalida’s house on Dour Orchampt, goes to her last resting place in Montmartre god`s acre, and then back to Oust Dalida where her statue evolution, which tourists come to brush like a lucky charm.