This is the third woman after Joan of Arc and Sarah Bernhardt to be honored with a monument in Paris. When she took her own life, France declared a national day of mourning.
The Path to the Stage
Pride of France, she was an Italian from Egypt. Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti was born on January 17, 1933, in Cairo. The future “Miss Egypt” was the daughter of Italian-Calabrian parents from Catanzaro (some sources specify that her father was an Italian violinist at the Cairo Opera, while her mother, a seamstress, was French). After undergoing eye surgeries in childhood, the cross-eyed girl developed that magical gaze that would become her signature feature. At the age of 12, the future beauty queen lost her father and had to say goodbye to her carefree childhood. From a young age, the determined girl worked as a model (her magazine photo in a swimsuit led to the cancellation of her engagement to a local suitor) and appeared in small film roles. A move to Paris promised greater artistic opportunities, where the owner of a sensual “chest” voice could fulfill her dream of singing on stage.
Little Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti in 1937
Vocal lessons with Roland Berjé prepared the talented student for a singing career and introduced her to the person who would support her on her creative and personal journey. At the time she met Lucien Maurice, the director of the radio station Europe 1, the winner of a vocal competition on French radio was a voluptuous brunette (soon she would transform into a slender blonde, reducing her weight to 112 pounds at a height of 5’6″) and introduced herself as Dalila. The young artist chose her stage name herself, unaware of the ominous fate it would imply: in some ways, she would repeat the tragic mission of the biblical heroine who brought death to the man who loved her. Changing a letter in the name (Dalila from ancient Hebrew legend sounds in Hebrew as Dalida) would not free her from the burden of a sad destiny: the fate of Dalila would become a lifelong burden for Dalida. The “Black Orchid,” as critics would call the charismatic performer of the hit “Bambino,” would meet a fate akin to that of the “Black Widow.”
Dalida in 1961
A Journey to the Edge
After marrying in 1961 following a five-year engagement, the producer and his protégé separated just a year later. Lucien Maurice was troubled by Dalida’s uncontrollable attraction to French actor and artist Jean Sobieski. From their first meeting in Cannes, the passionate Italian fell in love with the talented Pole, and this happened even before her marriage to the producer, to whom the singer felt only respect and gratitude. After a triumphant solo performance at the Olympia, Dalida would continue her journey alone.
It is said that women often start a new life with a new hair color. Dalida embraced the blonde look. Later, she would realize that golden strands helped her stand out but did not bring her happiness. In 1962, she purchased an atmospheric house in Montmartre, becoming the new owner of a historic building in the heart of Paris, where the former resident, the writer Louis-Ferdinand Céline, completed his “Journey to the End of the Night.” By a mystical coincidence, Dalida would also end her earthly journey in this house.
Dalida’s villa in Montmartre.
But for now, she would continue to enchant the public as France’s top singer, filling the void left by the legendary Édith Piaf’s death in 1963. Amidst the twist and rock ‘n’ roll, the stage gifted Dalida with new love in 1966: Italian singer and composer Luigi Tenco. Unfortunately, their duet failed to impress audiences, and after a disastrous performance at the San Remo Festival in 1967, the sensitive musician took his own life in a hotel, unable to cope with the voting results.
Dalida at San Remo in 1967
It later emerged that Tenco had intended to break up with his eccentric partner. In a letter published after Dalida’s death, he referred to the star as a “depraved and uneducated neurasthenic,” expressed regret over their relationship, and planned to end the romance with the singer. Dalida was unaware of this and nearly followed the suicidal path of her lover. In her deep anguish, she too contemplated ending her life. Doctors pulled the singer back from the brink, but the prolonged coma would leave lasting consequences: deafness, memory lapses, and skin grafts on her hands due to tissue necrosis (the artist underwent several surgeries). During this difficult period, Dalida was supported by her ex-husband, but in 1970, Maurice also took his own life.
Unbearable Life
Dalida’s concert hiatus lasted for many months: the singer was not in a state to face the public. When she returned to the stage, she was reborn. Standing in the spotlight was a different person, filled with suffering, awareness, and remorse. Her repertoire expanded to include songs with deep, philosophical lyrics. The songs “He’s Only 18” and “Words, Words” (the recording of “Paroles” was done as a duet with actor Alain Delon) became worldwide hits.
Duet with Alain Delon
In 1972, the singer gave her heart to artist Richard Chamfre, with whom she was happy for nine years until a tragic incident intervened: one day, Dalida’s partner nearly killed an innocent person, mistaking them for a robber. After serving time in prison, Richard did not return: in 1983, he took his own life. This news shocked the artist. Three of her beloved men had voluntarily left this world. The press labeled the broken woman as the “Black Widow.” Fans were understandably concerned when they heard from the singer in 1984 that her new show “The Perfect Dalida” would be her farewell.
Dalida was losing strength along with her sight. It became increasingly difficult for her to step into the spotlight, and at home, she slept with the lights on. Only her fifth eye surgery helped. The singer did not lose her sight but lost herself.
In 1986, Dalida released her last album “The Face of Love.” At that time, the Egyptian star returned to her roots, appearing in her homeland in the film “The Sixth Day,” where she portrayed an old woman without makeup. Unfortunately, neither of these works brought her joy.
Dalida increasingly pondered the thought that the best parts of her life were behind her. “I have lived enough and achieved a lot, but something in my life did not work out,” reflected the owner of a diamond disc. Her records sold 120 million copies. Over 30 years on stage, she performed about 2,000 songs in eight languages, but she concluded that “an artist lives and dies alone.”
In her most dramatic song, Je suis malade (“I am sick”), the singer literally described her own state: “I drink every night. But all whiskeys taste the same to me. And on all ships – your flag. I no longer know where to go; you are everywhere. This love is killing me. And someday I will end my life alone, listening to my voice on the radio in a song. I am hopelessly sick.”
At 54, she returned to the decision made 20 years earlier before her first suicide attempt: she once again mixed barbiturates with alcohol. The night of May 2 to 3, 1987, became the singer’s last. Her death was confirmed at 11 a.m. The last autograph Dalida left was on her suicide note: “Life has become unbearable for me. Forgive me.”
The star’s name has been given to a square in Montmartre – here, the price of life is often measured by sacrifices to art.
The bust of Dalida, installed in the tiny square named after the singer