Силви Вартан
Sylvie Vartan was born on August 15th 1944 in Iskretz in Bulgaria. Seven years earlier, her mother, Illona, had given birth to a boy named Eddy. Her father, Georges was an attaché at the French embassy in Sofia. In 1952, hoping to find better living conditions abroad, the Vartans emigrated to France.
After a three-day train journey, they arrived in Paris in the middle of Christmas festivities and were dumbfounded by the abundance of fine food on sale. Georges Vartan got a job as a night porter and the family stayed in a hotel - where they went on living for several years cramped in a single room. The children, who could not speak a word of French, found it difficult to adapt. Nevertheless, through sheer hard work, Sylvie managed to pass her entry exam to the Lycée Victor Hugo.
In 1960, the Vartans moved into an apartment. Sylvie entered the Hélène Boucher Lycée for Girls. Her mother advised her to specialise in foreign languages, for which she seemed gifted. Around this time, she began to take an interest in rock and roll (Bill Haley and Elvis Presley) and also jazz - her bother had become a professional trumpeter).
In the history of French pop divas, two names inevitably stand out - first there was Sheila (as in B. Devotion) then the legendary Sylvie (Vartan). Both rose to fame on the crest of the "Yé-yé" wave - as the 60's French rock'n'pop movement was known - and both have continued to make successful comebacks over the years. Indeed, Sylvie even more so than Sheila! For, while Ms. Vartan may no longer dominate the national media as she once did in her heyday, she does return to the media spotlight every now and then. And journalists rush to take up their pens when Sylvie releases a new album every couple of years!
Sylvie Vartan celebrated her 60th birthday in style in 2004, publishing her autobiography, Entre ombre et lumière and releasing a brand new album, simply entitled Sylvie. The album, produced in collaboration with her loyal band of songwriters and composers was classic Vartan at her pop diva best. Besides featuring contributions from Sylvie's faithful sidekicks, Didier Barbelivien, Michel Mallory and her son, David Hallyday, the album also included offerings from up-and-coming stars on the French music scene such as Daran and Florent Marchet.
June 2004
