Cairo's Italian Cultural Institute Pay Tribute to Dalida

The Italian Cultural Institute in Cairo dedicated Monday evening to Dalida — the Italian diva born in Cairo in the district of Shubra — daughter of Giuseppina and Pietro Gigliotti's first violin at the Cairo opera house.

Extraordinary interpreter of a vast musical repertoire, the very young Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti took her first steps in the world of entertainment in Egypt and took the stage name of Dalida in France, where she had immediate success already in the mid-fifties. She then conquered the Italian, European, and world public, also playing in dramatic movies.

The evening at the Italian Cultural Institute highlighted Dalida as an exceptional protagonist of both the musical and cinematographic scene.

The Institute screened the film "The sixth day", a masterpiece in the history of Egyptian cinema, in which Dalida was directed by Maestro Youssef Chahine.

The Institute also offered an opportunity to listen to "Elle R", the duo founded by Luisa Russo, engaged in a touching musical tribute to the diva who recorded more than 900 songs in ten different languages selling tens of millions of records.

The legend of Dalida, the first true Mediterranean global star, grew over time through her voice capable of evoking emotions beyond linguistic and cultural differences. Her extraordinary interpretative quality has continued to influence generations of artists all over the world, together with the consolidation of the symbol of an independent woman, despite a destiny marked by deep suffering.

Few artists have been able to attract the attention of the public as Dalida, protagonist for three decades of the Italian and international scene, claims the director of the Cairo Institute DavideScalmani.

The Italian Cultural Institute wanted to dedicate an event to Dalida, which marks the launch of the third version of the cultural collaboration program between the EU and Egypt, a program now managed by the Italian Institute and financed by the European Union.

The program promotes collaboration between European and Egypt in the cultural field, among other things by supporting the creative scene, artistic and cultural exchanges, festivals, and the like.