Dalida
Singer, actress, beauty pageant titleholder
Died when: 54 years 103 days (651 months)Star Sign: Aquarius
Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti (Italian: [jo'landa kri'sti?na d?i?'??tti]; 17 January 1933 – 3 May 1987), professionally known as Dalida, was an Italian-French singer and actress born in Egypt.
She sang in eleven languages and sold millions of records internationally. Her best known songs are "Bambino", "Les enfants du Pirée", "Le temps des fleurs", "Darla dirladada", "J'attendrai", and "Paroles, paroles" featuring spoken word by Alain Delon.
First an actress, she made her debut in the film A Glass and a Cigarette by Niazi Mustapha in 1955. One year later, having signed with the Barclay record company, Dalida achieved her first success as a singer with "Bambino".
Following this, she became the most important seller of records in France between 1957 and 1961. Her music charted in many countries in Europe, Latin America, North America, and Asia.
Among her greatest sales successes were "Le jour où la pluie viendra", "Gigi l'amoroso", "J'attendrai", and "Salama ya salama". She sang with singers such as Julio Iglesias, Charles Aznavour, Johnny Mathis and Petula Clark.
Although she shot a few films alongside her career as a singer, she effectively reconnected with cinema with The Sixth Day, a film by Youssef Chahine released in 1986.
The film was successful in Egypt where three million people gathered in Shubra to see Dalida at the preview. In France, although the film was hailed by critics, it became a commercial failure.
Dalida was deeply disturbed by the suicide of her partner Luigi Tenco in 1967. Despite this, she moved ahead with her career, forming the record label International Show with her brother Orlando, recording more music and performing at concerts and music competitions, but she continued to suffer bouts of depression.
She took her own life on 3 May 1987.
