Born in Egypt to an Italian father and opera violonist under the name of Yolanda Gigliotti, the future Dalida participates in beauty contests in her homeland and follows a traditional way at the time to fame and glory.
After winning the title of Miss Egypt, she travels to Paris in the 50’s still raven black hair, to become an actress. But the french capital only pays little attention to Miss Yolanda from Africa so she moves towards a singing career and after a not very encouraging start, she finally breaks through and multiplies her successes becoming like Brigitte Bardot, an role model for girls at the time.
Having changed her hair colour to Venetian blonde, her exotic accent and Middle-Eastern dance gestures will enable her to successfully traverse several different musical eras and never go out of style, thus eventually becoming a true icon.
Still wrapped in sequinned tight dresses, she undulates in television studios where she sings in all languages and each of her stage appearances always sell out out.
Paradoxically, her private life is a complete disaster and by a strange curse, almost all the men in her life put an end to their lives, casting a perpetual morbid shadow over her while her public persona expresses the most triumphant joy.
Behind the brilliant Dalida still remains small Yolanda unable to be heard when her public image offers all the dazzling image of happiness. Unable to get rid of this status, the singer puts her own life but does not fall into oblivion, in France, she remains ubiquitous and still sells many records and her success endures in spite of everything.
Dalida’s look was furiously glamorous, with her cascading mane of thick blonde hair, she wore strong eye makeup, her cheeks contoured by warm blush tones and her lips painted in coral, brown or beige colours. Dalida’s career was hugely successful and she is remembered in France as flamboyant singing icon.
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