Umculi waseFrance odume kakhulu wazalwa ngo-1915 emndenini we-acrobat nomdlali ongenakuphumelela. U-Edith Giovanna Gassion wayengeyona ingane ekhanga kakhulu futhi kungekudala unina wamshiya, futhi uyise (acrobat) wayesekuqaleni ngaleso sikhathi. Ngemva kokubuyela ekhaya, wafunda ukuthi indodakazi yakhe yayihlala ephazamisekile lapho futhi ngubani. Le ntombazane yayihlala ezimweni ezingekho emzimbeni, nokuthi yayingazange i-meshavlazroslym, ebisini sayo isikhathi eside ithulule utshwala. Uyise ka-Edith wathatha indodakazi yakhe wayithumela kunina kuNormandy, unina wayesebenza njengompheki emgodleni.
Kwakukhona endlini kawonkewonke ukuthi kwaziwa ukuthi intombazane yayiyizimpumputhe, ngakho-ke ukusiza ugogo wakhe aye enkampanini bese ethandazela ukubuyiswa komzukulu wakhe, futhi, o, isimangaliso, amehlo ka-Edith. Lapho eneminyaka engu-6 ubudala, le ntombazane yaqala ukubona, ekugcineni yaya esikoleni, kodwa yayeka ukufunda esikoleni sayo, ngoba abazali bayo babengafuni ukubona intombazane evela esitelekeni esiseduze nezingane zayo. Ngokulandelayo, ubaba uthatha le ntombazane eParis, lapho okwenziwa khona intombazane ngesikhathi sokudlala kwakhe.
Ukuphila noyise kwakungafani nokuphila komfelandawonye, ubaba wakhe wayevame ukuguqula izindodakazi zakhe, intombazane i-roslasama yedwa, futhi ngezikhathi ezithile, lapho ephuzile, ephuza u-Edith. Intombazane yaqonda ukuthi kwakudingeka iphume endlini ngokuphuthumayo. Ngo-1932, eneminyaka engu-17 ubudala, wajwayelana noyise wendodakazi yakhe uLouis Dupont, kodwa ubuhlobo bombhangqwana osemusha abubekiwe, u-Edith uthatha ingane futhi uqala ukuhlala ngokwehlukana. Ngalesi sikhathi eParis, "u-Spain" no-Edith, kanye nendodakazi yakhe uMarcel bayagula, kodwa intombazane iyafa.
Intombazane encane ebulawe, engakabi neminyaka engama-20 ngenxa yokungabi nemali yomngcwabo, ifa ngenxa yesenzo esibi sokuziphatha kabi. Kwakuyisikhathi sakhe sokuqala nesikhathi sokugcina, wabonwa ngumuntu ocebile eduze nehhotela, wamenywa ekamelweni futhi wabuza ukuthi kungani enza, u-Edith wavuma ngobuqotho ukuthi akanalo ama-francs angamatshumi ayishumi ukuthenga ibhokisi lika-indodakazi yakhe. Ukumangazwa ngumuntu ocebile kunika u-Edith 10 ama-francs (bakhuluma futhi utshele ngalokho okwenzekayo kanye nalokho akwenzayo), futhi ubhala ephepheni ikheli le-cabaret eyodwa, lapho usuku olulandelayo luzobe luhlaziywa kwabaculi abasha. U-Edith wahlolisiswa futhi eminyakeni emibili ezayo wenza endaweni yokudlela eZhernis, ngesikhathi esifanayo udumo lwakhe lokuqala lufika kuye.
Umnikazi wesitolo sokudlela ufundisa u-Edith zonke izimangaliso zokucula, futhi uvela no-Piaf, ongowesiFulentshi esho ukuthi oshayi. Ngemuva kokufa komeluleki wakhe, Piafznakomitsya nomlobi uRaymond Aso, lo muntu akazange abe ngumthandi wakhe kuphela, kodwa naye u-stylist wakhe, ngoba wayefundisa imikhuba yezwe.
Ngakho-ke, ihora lakhe elihle kakhulu lafika: Piaf wamenywa ukuba ahlabelele ehholo lomculo elaliziwa eParis "ABC". Umphakathi wathatha ukucula kwakhe nge-sobscheniem, kanti lo mshini wabhala ukuthi eFrance inkanyezi yezinga eliphezulu emhlabeni yazalwa. Lapho eneminyaka engama-30 uyathandwa futhi kudingekile, ngaphansi kwezikripthi zakhe zokubhala kanye no-Piaf akasengumculi kuphela, kodwa futhi nomdlali we-actress. Naphezu kokuthandwa kwama-blondes, ayenhle kakhulu kune-Piaf ejwayelekile, u-Edith uguqulwa waba inkanyezi ye-movie. Esikhathini seqoqo lefilimu elandelayo, u-Edith Piaf wabe esethi uYves Montand engaziwa ngokukhethekile abe yizikhonzi. Uneminyaka embalwa emdala kunaye, futhi unolwazi oluthe xaxa, luba nguhlelo lokuvikela, lusize othandwayo.
U-Edith Piaf wayenomkhuba wokusiza bonke abathandi bakhe-okumele kutholakale kwabanye, kwabanye ngokwezimali. Ngisho no-Edith wayedume ngamandla akhe okuphonsa amadoda, empilweni yakhe ulandela ngokucacile umbono wokuthi udinga ukuphonsa amadoda ngaphambi kokuba uqale ukucabanga ngakho. Wayenabo bonke abathandekayo bakhe, futhi emva kokuqeda ubudlelwano wanginika izibopho eziningana nomshuphu ohlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Ngenxa yalokho, emva kweminyaka emibili yobuhlobo noMontan omuhle, uyiphonsa ngokuzumayo.
U-Edith Piaf wayethanda abantu besilisa futhi ngesikhathi esifanayo angaba nabathandi abathathu noma ngaphezulu, bashintshwa esikhundleni, futhi waqhubeka enqoba indawo. Kwakukhona ukuthakazelisa nokuthandana, lapho le mizwa yanyamalala, waphonsa lo muntu noma lowo muntu. Umculi ushiyile ukuthi uma uqoqa izinombolo zabo bonke abathandi bakhe, khona-ke kuyoba nomhlahlandlela wefoni. Futhi-ke, ngesikhathi sokuvakasha, uyazi uthando lokuphila kwakhe - uMarcel Cerdan, bese eqenjini laseYurophu ebhokisini.
USerdan no-Piaf abazange bafihle ubuhlobo babo, beyinkosikazi yakhe, futhi wayeyindoda eshadile enezingane ezintathu.
Ngokusemthethweni, uSerdana wenza ngisho nabangane no-Piaf, kanti izingane zakhe azithandi umphefumulo kumculi (nakuba ubudlelwane obufudumele phakathi kwenkosikazi wakhe kanye nomkakhe waseSerdan baqala kuphela ngemva kokufa kukaMarcel).
Ukuthandana kwabo kwaphela enhlekeleleni, kanti uMarcel wagijima esuka eParis waya eNew York endizeni yendiza, Piaf wangena ekuphuzeni, kepha waqhubeka ngezikhathi ezithile. Wayeqeda izinwele zakhe ngenhlonipho. Ngenxa yalokho, umculi waphenduka u-valkolichku, wavuma ukuba adakwe utshwala esiteji nasemsebenzini wakhe, kanye nokuphila komuntu siqu kwehla. U-Piaf akakwazanga ukuqeda ubuhlungu ngemuva kokulahlekelwa othandekayo wakhe.
Ngesikhathi eqala ukukhuluma nabantombazane abasesiteji ngesikhathi esifanayo, kamuva wathola ukuthi unomkhuhlane omhlophe. Ngemva kwesikhashana, wanquma ukuqeda impilo yakhe ngokuzibulala, kodwa wasindiswa. Ngemuva kweminyaka emibili uSerdan esefile, uFaif uwela engozini yemoto, ngemuva kwalokho odokotela bakuthola izicucu. Esesibhedlela, unikezwa i-morphine ukuze ayiphumeze ubuhlungu futhi ngokushesha angacabangi impilo yakhe ngaphandle kwalesi sidakamizwa.
Phakathi neminyaka emine ezayo, i-detonator isebenza kuphela kulo muthi futhi isebenza kakhulu ngokuphikelela, njengoba kwaziwa ukuthi i-morphine ibangela ukucindezeleka futhi kunzima ukusebenza kulo mbuso.
Ngesinye isikhathi, engozini yemithi, wabona ubuso bukaMama wakhe, owashona eneminyaka engu-50 ubudala ngenxa yokudlulela kuka-morphine nomculi wakhe wanquma ukumbopha ngokuphelele nalesi sidakamizwa. U-Piaf walahlekelwa umlutha we-morphine, kodwa waqhubeka nokudakwa utshwala.
Naphezu kwemikhuba yakhe eyingozi, u-Edith waqhubeka nokusebenza, futhi abuye aguqule amanoveli. Uthando lwakhe lokugcina lwaluyi-Hairdresser, oneminyaka engu-27 ubudala, uTheo Lambucas. Bahlangana esibhedlela (ukusetshenziswa kwesikhathi eside kwezidakamizwa nokuphuza utshwala kwakungeke kube nomthelela empilweni yakhe), nalapho Piaf aphathwa khona ngomdlavuza wesibindi. Ngokushesha uTheoi Edith uzoshada. Kuzo izithombe ezihlangene, yena ubheka ujabule.
Ngo-1963, u-Piaf washonela, futhi umyeni wakhe osemncane ushiywa lutho, ngoba konke engakutholanga kumdlali wezintatheli odumile yizikweletu zakhe, okumele akhokhe ngemuva kokufa kwakhe.
