Al-Ahram (AH): You have said that playing Dalida was a childhood dream. How did that dream become a real artistic project?
Farrah El-Dibany (FD): I first shared the idea with director Khairy Beshara, explaining the kind of project I had always dreamed of creating around Dalida. A few months later, he came back to me with a script that had already been written. That was the moment I realized this dream could truly come to life and become a genuine artistic project.
Today, the project has reached full maturity. It is clear, solid, and ready to be presented on stage. We have been working on it for several years now, and I cannot wait to collaborate with Khairy Beshara in the theater. I am convinced it will be an enriching experience and that I will learn a great deal from him, as I'll have an opportunity to reveal artistic facets of myself I have yet to discover.
AH: Why did you choose to tell Dalida’s story through a musical rather than through a concert or recital dedicated to her repertoire?
AD: I have performed Dalida’s songs many times before—in Egypt, France, Lebanon, and Jordan. But creating a musical that tells her story was not only a lifelong dream; it was also a way of expressing the melancholy that defined her life and giving shape to her pain without ever falling into caricature.
Dalida was an extraordinary icon with immense popular appeal, whereas I come from the world of opera. Moving from one artistic universe to another is a challenge. Yet, I am accustomed to crossing musical genres.
Although my training is rooted in classical singing, I have always been able to interpret a wide variety of repertoires while bringing my own sensitivity and vocal color to them. Some songs, however, require very specific preparation in order to perform them with authenticity and precision. I know this role will allow me to explore aspects of both my voice and my acting that I have never experienced before.
One of the essential elements of my operatic training is theatrical performance. Opera teaches not only vocal technique but also how to embody a character on stage. Dalida was an intensely emotional personality.
The greatest challenge, however, lies in portraying a woman who truly existed and whom audiences know so intimately. That is something entirely new for me.
AH: How do you strike a balance between remaining faithful to her legacy and expressing your own artistic identity?
FD: Certainly it is not easy. As a singer myself, portraying another singer presents a unique challenge. At the same time, I naturally master everything my profession requires: I know how to breathe, how to move on stage, how gestures accompany singing, and which facial expressions convey emotion. All of that is already part of who I am.
But because I am portraying someone else, I must enter her world. I have to bring her to life by rediscovering her way of singing, her body language, and her stage presence.
That is precisely where Khairy Beshara’s vision is so distinctive. What interests him above all is that it is Farrah El-Dibany who plays Dalida. Thanks to his talent as a director, he will highlight everything Dalida and I naturally share. Those common elements already exist and will help make the character believable.
However, Khairy Beshara will also make use of our differences. He will highlight not only what brings us together but also what sets us apart, and that is precisely what will give the character greater depth.
I believe this production will offer audiences a fresh perspective on Dalida by revealing more of the woman behind the icon—a side of her that remains largely unknown to the public. For example, very few people realize that the three men she loved most all took their own lives. Such a succession of tragedies inevitably left deep emotional scars.
AH: The production is a Franco-Egyptian creation. How will this dual identity be reflected on stage?
FD: Living at the crossroads of several cultures is something I deeply share with Dalida. I grew up in Alexandria in a cosmopolitan environment, surrounded by Greek, Armenian, Italian and French families. At school, as in everyday life, we were constantly exposed to different cultures. I attended a German school before becoming part of the French-speaking world when I joined the Paris Opera and settled in France. At home, we spoke Arabic and English.
Dalida and I therefore share this universe of multiple identities and cultures. Today, she has become part of my own artistic identity.
The creative team itself reflects the cultural dialogue. André Manoukian is French, the orchestra brings together musicians from both countries, and the conductor is French. The musical will also be bilingual: some performances will be staged in Egyptian Arabic, others in French, while the songs will always be performed in their original language.
AH: How did you prepare for this production, and to what extent were you involved in shaping its details?
FD: Because the idea for this musical came from me, Khairy Beshara and André Manoukian immediately seemed like the ideal collaborators. Bringing together Egyptian and French musicians will create a genuine space for artistic dialogue, exchange and creativity.
We also selected the conductor together. Even the script was developed in close collaboration with Khairy Beshara and screenwriter Walid Khairy. From the earliest stages, when the project was still little more than an idea, I had long conversations with Walid to share my vision, my attachment to Dalida’s spirit and everything that, in my eyes, connects our journeys.
Modernizing these classics does not mean betraying their soul. The lyrics and melodies will remain entirely faithful to the originals.
AH: What perspective on Dalida do you hope audiences will take away from this production?
FD: With The Song That Never Ends, we want to give Dalida a new life on stage. We want to celebrate an immortal Dalida. Our ambition is to introduce her legacy to younger generations who may not yet fully know this extraordinary artist, while reminding audiences that Dalida is timeless.
Personally, every one of her songs touches me. Bambino, for instance, holds a particularly special place in my heart. It was the nickname Dalida gave my father when he was a child. Over time, Bambino became simply Bino, the affectionate nickname he still carries today.
When I sing Je suis malade, I sometimes feel that the boundary between Farrah El-Dibany and Dalida disappears. For me, it is not simply a matter of performing a song—it is about inhabiting it. In those moments, I sometimes feel as if time itself stands still and only the music and the emotion remain.
AH: Dalida is often regarded as a bridge between Egypt and France. How will your production embody that connection between the two countries?
FD: Dalida remains one of the finest symbols of cultural dialogue between Egypt and France. She embodied that connection throughout her life. She was always proud of her Egyptian roots and took every opportunity to speak about them, especially during television interviews. She also recorded songs dedicated to Egypt.
Through this production, we want to highlight the profound bond between Dalida and Egyptian culture—a culture that shaped her identity. France, meanwhile, is the country that welcomed her and enabled her to build her international career.
Echoing Dalida’s own journey, the production itself will follow that same path between Egypt and France. It will premiere in Egypt before travelling to France and then to other international stages.
The opening performance is scheduled for 31 October at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, as part of the Mediterranean Season. The production will then move to Cairo before heading to France and embarking on an international tour.
AH: After performing on the world’s leading opera stages, where does the role of Dalida fit within your artistic journey?
FD: After Carmen, the great international opera houses and official concerts, portraying Dalida represents a major—and completely unexpected—milestone in my artistic career.
I believe that, for both myself and the audience, this role will bring a new richness, greater depth, and an added dimension to my artistic path. It opens the door to something entirely new. My ambition is to embody Dalida through my own artistic language.
Like her, I am deeply attached to Egypt—not only because it is my birthplace, but because it is an essential part of my identity. We were both embraced by France, where we built our careers, and the French language became a true cultural bridge for each of us.
AH: If Dalida could attend this production today, what would you hope she would feel?
FD: If Dalida could witness this production today, I would hope she would feel proud of what she still represents, of the place she continues to hold in people’s hearts, and of the extraordinary legacy she has left behind.
Her greatness lay not only in her voice or in her stage presence, but also in the profound melancholy that inhabited her. Her voice carried tragedy and joy, passionate love, strength, and light all at once. She possessed the rare ability to hold deeply contrasting emotions together in a single performance.
* A French version of this interview appears on Ahraminfo.
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