Editing Dalida (section)

=== Relocation to Paris and decisive 421 dice game ===

On 25 December 1954, Dalila left Egypt for Paris.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linternaute.com/paris/sortir/dossier/dalida-une-vie/2.shtml|title=Dalida, une vie parisienne -|website=www.linternaute.com}}</ref> Her first residence was a room in an apartment belonging to Gastyne's friend, the impresario Vidal. She met with a number of directors and auditioned for movie roles, but failed each time. Vidal relocated her to a smaller apartment, where her first neighbour was the actor [[Alain Delon]] (who at this time was still unknown to the wider public), with whom she had a brief relationship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.purepeople.com/article/alain-delon-met-en-lumiere-son-histoire-d-amour-avec-dalida_a78336/1|title=Alain Delon met en lumière son histoire d'amour avec... Dalida !|website=Purepeople.com|access-date=21 August 2021}}</ref>

Dalila's difficulty in finding acting work throughout 1955 led her to try singing. Vidal introduced her to Roland Berger, a friend and professor who agreed to give her singing lessons seven days per week for a low fee. He was strict and used to yell, with Dalila responding even more loudly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts/looking-back-at-the-troubled-life-of-legendary-egyptian-born-crossover-star-dalida-1.2038|title=Looking back at the troubled life of legendary Egyptian-born crossover star Dalida|website=The National|date=4 February 2017|access-date=21 August 2021}}</ref> Their lessons sometimes ended with her slamming the door, but she always returned the next day. Seeing her progress, Berger arranged for her to perform in the cabaret {{lang|fr|Le Drap d'Or|i=no}} on [[Champs-Élysées]], where she was spotted by Jacques Paoli, the director of another cabaret, {{lang|fr|La Villa d'Este|i=no}}.<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web|url=http://www.ina.fr/video/I05044917/dalida-a-propos-de-ses-debuts-video.html |title=Dalida à propos de ses débuts – Vidéo |language=fr|publisher=Ina.fr |date=9 October 1966 |access-date=13 August 2018}}</ref> Paoli engaged her for a series of performances that proved to be popular, and Dalila received her first attention from the public in France, among whom was [[Bruno Coquatrix]], the director of [[Olympia (Paris)|Olympia]], who invited her to perform in his singing contest {{lang|fr|Les Numéros 1 de demain}}. Coquatrix later said: "[H]er voice is full of colour and volume, and has all that men love: gentleness, sensuality and eroticism." Dalila was also spotted by author and screenwriter Alfred Marchand, who advised to change her name to Dalida, since her pseudonym too closely resembled [[Delilah|the Biblical character]] as depicted in the movie ''[[Samson and Delilah (1949 film)|Samson and Delilah]]''. She immediately followed the advice.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vsd.fr/loisirs/culture-10-choses-a-savoir-sur-dalida-19553|title=Culture 10 choses à savoir sur Dalida – Vsd|access-date=9 May 2018|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612210738/https://www.vsd.fr/loisirs/culture-10-choses-a-savoir-sur-dalida-19553|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 9 April 1956, Dalida participated in the singing contest {{lang|fr|Les Numéros 1 de demain}}, performing "{{lang|fr|Etrangère au Paradis|i=no}}". Prior to the competition, [[Eddie Barclay]], the owner of the largest record label in France, [[Barclay (record label)|Barclay]], and {{ill|Lucien Morisse|fr|vertical-align=sup}}, the artistic director of the newly established radio station [[Europe 1|Europe n°1]], met in Bar Romain (now {{lang|fr|Petit Olympia|i=no}}) and discussed what to do that evening. Barclay wanted to watch a film, whereas Morisse wanted to attend the singing competition, which was being held at Olympia Hall, then the largest venue in Paris. They settled their disagreement by playing 421, a dice game, which Morisse won.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://musique.rfi.fr/artiste/chanson/dalida|title=Dalida – Biographie, discographie et fiche artiste|website=RFI Musique|date=3 March 2011|language=fr-FR|access-date=8 May 2018}}</ref> Together with their friend Coquatrix, they were greatly impressed after Dalida won the contest, and arranged a meeting with her. This event was later revisited in [[biopic]]s and books, and became regarded as fateful for Dalida's career. The three men went on to play a large part in launching her career.<ref name="linternaute.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.linternaute.com/biographie/dalida/|title=Biographie Dalida|website=www.linternaute.com|date=2 May 2022 }}</ref>