Today, this story sounds completely absurd: how did Céline Dion, a worldwide star who went on to become the world's most famous Quebecker, find herself representing Switzerland at the most memorable edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in the late 80s?
Yet this has nothing to do with chance. In fact, in more ways than one, it reveals the singer's career, and the couple she formed for over 40 years with René Angélil, both her manager and her one true love. It's both romantic and carefully thought through, over-the- top and yet confoundingly sincere.
This adventure, which was an opportunity to conquer new markets as it was a gamble on the part of the producer. It was to reveal to 500 million viewers the transformation of an artist, illustrating how she went from a little girl with a cheesy look and crooked teeth to a young woman ready to seize the moment. Less than 10 years after this victory, Céline Dion was chosen to sing "My Heart Will Go On", the song from Titanic which, like the film, became a worldwide hit. A stunning career!
In 1988, Céline Dion was not yet a world star, a diva so famous that she would corner the identity of such a common first name and become the "Queen of Power Ballads". She was just a young singer who was barely 20 years old. The little girl from Quebec, who made her debut at the age of 12, was already a star in her homeland, but since 1986 her career was at a standstill, and people were starting to wonder whether she'd ever be able to shake off the old-fashioned child star image that followed her everywhere. In 1987, Céline Dion and her manager, René Angélil, decided to put her career on hold for almost a year. The strategy was simple: upgrade Céline's image, and prepare her to take on the international market. Céline Dion radically changed her look, her hairstyle and her teeth. She learned to speak English, of which she spoke not a word, in just a few weeks.