#bientôt - DALIDA - A Short Highlight Of An Illustrious Career!

I must confess that I'm not familiar with her at all and I'm not sure Chansons are my cup of tea, but I'm always up for discovering something new. However, there are many other rates I'd also like to participate in, so I will see whether I can squeeze Dalida in. But thanks for the tag and bringing the rate to my attention.
 
I'm definitely in!

Dalida is one of those legendary singers, I can't believe that I didn't dive more into her music before.
This rate came at a great time!
It's really fascinating for me to read how she had such an interesting, but tragic life (only thing I knew about her depression before reading is her poorer health that eventually led her to suicide).
Also, her immensely broad discography is something that will make this rate very exciting to follow.
 
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SPOTLIGHT UN


My dears, today is the 65th Anniversary of Dalida being discovered by Eddie Barclay in a singing contest (and subsequently she got signed with Barclay Records for over 10 years) - so a Spotlight is in order!

First, I wanted to feature the song that got her the deal, her rendition of Etrangere Au Paradis but it doesn't seem to be on the internet anywhere by Dalida, so here is the equally glorious version by Gloria Lasso:​





Instead, we will feature a different song I had thought of including in the rate, but ultimately decided not to.

A cover of the classic Green Green Grass Of Home (the original version was a country classic from Johnny Darrell) saw Tom Jones get a #1 hit in the UK in 1966. Dalida's team arranged for it to be adapted into French for her and her first TV Appearance after her first suicide attempt (only 4 months later) saw her give this emotive rendition of the track. You'll notice she breaks down and cries towards the end of the performance. This has been attributed to the rawness of the lyric and the connection she felt to the lines that translate to "I was afraid that everything would be foreign to me, but nothing seems changed, it's good to open the grilles of my house" after her return to her Montmartre home from the hospital. Think also of how her lover Luigi Tenco had committed suicide a month before Dalida's attempt and this fairly simple lyric takes on a very profound spin very quickly...​




Wow!
 
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Mesdames et Messieurs, it is time for

SPOTLIGHT DEUX



This little spotlight sees us looking at a seemingly happier time of our Diva's life. I have it on good authority, as told to me by Robbie Solete that in 1984 @chanex, @londonrain and @Robsolete were adamant to our Dalida's people that she cover a Pop R&B tinged ballad from Motown to demonstrate the extent of her range!* The song selected was the massive 19 week US Chart Topper, and Motown's best selling record in the UK to date - a little Stevie Wonder classic called I Just Called To Say I Love You.



Dalida's version called Pour Te Dire Je T'Aime was actually her last charting single in France while she was alive, reaching #25. Funnily enough, to make it phonetically beautiful in French - the lyric is slightly altered and the message is more universal. Telling someone you love them is still very much in effect, yet the calling someone over the phone aspect is mostly removed for a more devoted and romantic spin - such as with a sappier 'shouting it from the rooftop' approach. As suspected, since this take is quite cheesy (not that the original wasn't to begin with) - it is someone's favourite Dalida song, and that someone is the person responsible for making me have a nostalgic appreciation for Michael Bolton (Ddddd), my mother! As you can imagine, this was enough reason for me not to include it in the rate, though it could easily have been for the last charting single before death approach and the fact Dalida delivers the track absolutely beautifully, in her best 'Linda Evans as Crystal Carrington' drag below...



But wait, there's more!! Not to be outdone, and since Dalida was doing lots of these adaptations in the mid 80s anyway, the court case testimonies of @WowWowWowWow and @Sprockrooster tell us that they begged Dalida's to remake another huge song (this time a Christmas classic) Last Christmas by Wham!*



Our lady's take on the instrumental called Reviens-Moi goes a step further from the Wham! version, advising her lover she is willing to forgive and wants him back (for Christmas is implied, though not necessarily the main time of the year she wants this, maybe for always). As with the other track featured - Dalida was a staple performer of variety shows in the 80s (gotta know your demographic!!) so many of her tracks have Live or Live-Lipsynced performances, rather than music videos on YouTube.



*The events depicted here are as they occurred in Berserk World where the whole 694 songs of Dalida's Discography is rated, with 200 participants on PopJustice!​









#bientôt​
 
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Speaking of cover versions, how many of them are in this rate?
I immediately recognize "Bang Bang", "Besame Mucho" and "Itsi Bitsi Petit Bikini", but are there any more?
There are a lot actually! Dalida was a star during the height of the 'localisation of famous songs' era, and was a proven star who could deliver the hits and the emotion of many a track. A few songs were not actually covers per se more so 'demo-ed' by other acts such as Le Jour Ou La Pluie Viendra. Others ended up being Dalida songs that went on to be covered very successfully such as gondolier, reworked and an eventual hit by Petula Clark and Mourir Sur Scene being redone by Shirley Bassey :) (a bit of a cycle of the industry at the time) :)
 
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SPOTLIGHT TROIS

This update sees us go on a little trip! Well, most of us unless we happen to be based in Brazil like @Ana Raquel or @saviodxl! You see - Dalida was one of those rare French artists who somehow managed to extend her success past many a French speaking country despite singing predominantly in French! After all, you don't get to accrue 120 million units of record sales in your lifetime singing mainly non-English tracks by focusing on one market alone, hey?

Latin America taking to Dalida the way it did was one of the most fascinating discoveries I made when researching for the rate! One of the songs we are rating is actually the Best Selling Single of 1965 in Brazil, which we will reveal #bientôt but til then, let's look at two songs that didn't make the cut but left an impression regardless!

This one is a track I am hearing for the first time myself! El Cordobes was also a #1 hit in 1966 in Argentina and was apparently a collaboration with Manuel Benitez (a friend with whom Dalida had a brief affair). It's a beautifully sung and delivered track for sure!



The next track isn't actually a huge seller in Latin America, rather it is a carnival flavoured 1980 hit for Dalida (paging @iheartpoptarts!) in a few of her French speaking markets that celebrates her love of the Brazilian Party Culture! Rio Do Brazil is also one of Dalida's most remixed tracks so a quick YouTube search is sure to find you a version you like!*



It even inspired a fanmade Music Video from the same VJ who did that Salma Ya Salama we all loved in PJSC recently! Everyone gets a gorgeous dancer!!



*This is true to every track here, if you love a version of a song here by Dalida is different from what is linked feel free to rate it based on that, but please tell me so I link it on elimination posts :) P.S: Studio versions are on the Spotify playlist but the videos links are a mix of Live, Live-Lipsynced and Lyric Videos for a full experience!​
 

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