Hélène Ségara

Hélène Ségara, born Hélène Aurore Alice Rizzo on 26 February 1971, is a singer of French, Armenian and Italian descent, who came to prominence playing the role of Esmeralda in the French musical Notre Dame de Paris. She has sold over 10 million records.

Hélène Ségara was born on 26 February 1971 on her grandfather's farm in Six-Fours-les-Plages. Her father, Bernardo Rizzo, is of Italian descent and her mother, Therese Kasbarian, is Armenian. She has cited her parents' divorce when she was eight and the death of her grandfather when she was 16 as defining moments of her childhood.

As she wanted to become a singer, she left school and family at the age of 14. As a teenager, her jobs included performing in the piano bars of the French Riviera.

At 18, she gave birth to Raphael, her first son. Drawing on many musical influences she was a prolific songwriter during this period, and her repertoire grew to over a thousand songs in seven languages. In 1993, her first single, "Loin", was released, but failed to achieve success.

In 1996, accompanied by her young son, she moved to Paris, where she met Christian Loigerot, who became one of her composers. She also met the famous producer Orlando Gigliotti, Dalida's brother, who gave new impetus to her career. Although impressed by the experience and professionalism of this mentor, she was still under contract with her first producer.

Ségara's first success came with "Je vous aime adieu," the first single from her debut album, Cœur de verre (1996), followed by the duet "Vivo per lei," performed with Andrea Bocelli. Her big break came when she was selected to play Esmeralda in Richard Cocciante's musical Notre Dame de Paris. Although she auditioned for the role in 1997, she wasn't selected until 1999, following the withdrawal of the Israeli singer Noa. "When fate knocks at the door for a second time, we must not let it get away," said Ségara.