Frida Boccara was a French-Moroccan singer and actress, who rose to fame in the 60s and 70s. She was born Danielle Frida Helene Boccara in Casablanca, Morocco October 29, 1940. At the age of 17, she moved from Casablanca to Paris, France, where she would begin her artistic career. In the late 50s, Frida Boccara began performing throughout Paris, and in 1959 she recorded her first songs, beginning a partnership with the label Festival. In 1964, Frida Boccara submitted her song “Autrefois” to the French Eurovision Song Contest, but was not selected. A few years later, after having made a name for herself in the French music scene, she was selected to represent France with the song “Un Jour, un Enfant” (written by Émile Stern and Eddy Marnay). The song became a hit across Europe and helped to launch Frida Boccara’s career internationally. During the 60s, she released several 45 RPM singles with Festival, which were later packaged together as the compilation Festival 1961-1965. Throughout her career, Frida Boccara became known for her powerful and emotive voice, as well as her ability to convey a wide range of emotions through her music. She was also known for her ability to sing in a variety of languages, including French, English, Spanish, and Italian. In 1969, she recorded “Un Pays Pour Nous,” a French version of the song “Somewhere” from West Side Story. Leonard Bernstein, the song’s original composer, declared Frida Boccara’s version his favorite. She continued recording and performing throughout the following decades. She would compete in Eurovision twice more, performing the songs “Un Enfant de France” in the 1980 French finals, as well as “Voilà Comment Je T'Aime” in 1981. Frida Boccara passed away on August 1, 1996, due to complications of a pulmonary infection.
