French artist Nicole Croisille, voice of the famous 'Da ba da ba da' from the film 'A Man and A Woman,' dies

LeMonde

04-06-2025

The singer, actress and dancer Nicole Croisille, best known for her performances in Un Homme et Une Femme (A Man and a Woman) died on June 4 at the age of 88. Born on October 9, 1936, in the wealthy Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine, she was the only daughter of Jean Croisille, a tour guide, and Germaine Decorde. She grew up listening to Chopin and Liszt, played by her mother, an amateur pianist. Trained in classical dance from a young age, she dreamed of an artistic career, even though her father disapproved. "I always knew my place was on stage. That's where I feel best," she used to say. Discovering Sidney Bechet and the atmosphere of the jazz clubs in Saint-Germain-des-Prés as a teenager was a revelation. "I was born with jazz!" she enthused. "I feel this need for rhythm without knowing where it comes from."
Croisille studied mime under Marcel Marceau and joined his company for a tour of South America in 1957, then traveled to the United States in 1960. Passionate about American musicals, she managed to land several contracts in North America. She was a revue leader in Reno, Nevada (1958), took part in the Folies-Bergère tour in New York (1964, and sang at the Playboy Club in Chicago (1960). Nicknamed "Soul Sister," Croisille tirelessly worked on her warm voice and sense of swing.
In 1966, she met Claude Lelouch and Francis Lai, who invited her to perform the original soundtrack for the film Un homme et Une Femme as a duet with Pierre Barouh. The "Da ba da ba da" chorus instantly became famous and remains etched in collective memory to this day.
Claude Lelouch, a loyal friend, also entrusted her with the songs for the films Vivre pour vivre (1967), Les Uns et les Autres (1981), and Itinéraire d'un enfant gâté (1988).
Finding success at 40
In the 1970s, she achieved widespread acclaim. As a pop singer, she wanted to present the image of a free woman through her songs: "When success came, I was 40, and I could speak as a woman talking to women."
In 1976 and again in 1978, powered by her voice and energy, she triumphed at L'Olympia, Paris's famous concert venue. A versatile performer, Croisille refused to confine herself to a single musical style and constantly alternated between pop, jazz – most notably with the album Jazzille in 1987 – and music hall.
In 1992, on the stage of the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, as part of an American troupe, she played the title role in the musical Hello Dolly. "It's a childhood dream come true. When I was 10, I decided in my head: 'I want to be like Judy Garland.'" She also appeared in the musicals Follies (2013), Cabaret (2014) and Irma la Douce (2015), where she thrived in working as part of a troupe.
Croisille also made several ventures into acting. She performed in theater productions such as Folle Amanda (1996), Coup de Soleil (1999) and Hard (2018), and appeared in films, including La Cage Dorée (The Gilded Cage, 2013) as well as on television. In 2005, she played an unlikeable character in the hit TV series Dolmen, which drew approximately 12 million viewers per episode in France. "Singing, dancing, and acting – that's the life I wanted to lead," she said.
Croisille, discreet about her private life, opened up in 2006 with the publication of her autobiography written with Thierry Lecamp. The title summed up her life and 60-year career: Je n'ai pas vu passer le temps ("I Didn't See the Time Go By").