Dalida: The Diva of Disco

Dalida (17 January 1933 – 3 May 1987) was an Italian Egyptian singer and actress, naturalised French. Dalida was born and raised in Egypt, but she lived most of her adult life in France. She received 55 gold records and was the first singer to receive a diamond disc.

Since her death, Dalida has become a cult figure to a new generation of fans. According to wikipedia, In 1988, The Encyclopaedia Universalis commissioned a poll which was eventually published in daily newspaper Le Monde, the aim of which was to reveal personalities that had the greatest impact on French society. Dalida polled second, behind Général de Gaulle.

In 1997, the corner of the rues Girardon and Abreuvoir in the Butte Montmartre, Paris, was inaugurated as Place Dalida and a life-size bust to her memory was erected. In 1999, a 3-CD box-set compiling her greatest hits was released. In 2000, Dalida's longtime friend Charles Aznavour recorded the hit "De la scène à la Seine", a joyful song of her life in France, and in 2002, the French government honoured her memory with a postage stamp done in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of her death. In the same year, Universal Music Group released Dalida's early album releases in special-edition packaging, with all of the tracks digitally remastered. Her output has also been the subject of various remix albums. She sold a total of 130 million records from 1956 to 2006. Since her death, many of Dalida's hits have been remixed to modern techno and dance beats, topping the charts in various countries to this day.

In 1999 the play "Solitudini - Luigi Tenco e Dalida", written and directed by Maurizio Valtieri, was performed in Rome.In 2005, her life was documented in the two-part TV film Dalida, in the role of Dalida was Sabrina Ferilli. From 11 May to September 2007, the Paris City Hall commemorated the 20th anniversary of Dalida’s death with an exhibition of her outfits and previously unreleased photographs.