Charles Aznavour
Encyclopedia
Charles Aznavour, OC
(born Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian Shahnour Vaghinak Aznavuryan, May 22, 1924, Paris
) is an Armenia
n-French
singer, songwriter
, actor, public activist and diplomat
. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world. Charles Aznavour is known for his unique tenor
voice: clear and ringing in its upper reaches, with gravelly and profound low notes. He has appeared in more than sixty movies, composed about a thousand songs (including 150 at least in English, 100 in Italian, 70 in Spanish, and 50 in German), and sold well over 100 million records.
In 1998, Charles Aznavour was named Entertainer of the Century by CNN
and users of Time Online from around the globe. He was recognized as the century's outstanding performer, with nearly 18% of the total vote, edging out Elvis Presley
and Bob Dylan
. He has sung for presidents, popes, and royalty, as well as at humanitarian events, and is the founder of the charitable organization Aznavour for Armenia along with his long-time friend impresario
Levon Sayan
.
Aznavour started his global farewell tour in late 2006, and will tour France in Fall 2011. In 2009 he was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland
, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations
at Geneva
.
the son of Armenian
immigrants Michael Aznavourian (an Armenian from Akhaltsikhe
in nowadays Georgia
) and Knar Baghdasarian (from Turkey
). His father spent his youth in Tbilisi
, where his family had moved for work (Charles's grandfather was a personal chef to Governor General in Tbilisi
). Later, after moving to France, Michael Aznavourian sang in restaurants before establishing his own Caucasian
restaurant called Le Caucase. Together with his wife, who was an actress, Michael introduced Charles to the world of theatre
at an early age. Charles dropped out of school at the age of nine, already aspiring to the life of an artist. He began to perform at this time, and soon took the stage name "Aznavour". His big break came in 1946 when the singer Édith Piaf
heard him sing and arranged to take him with her on tour in France and to the United States
.
", Aznavour sings frequently about love. He has written musicals and about a thousand songs, and made more than one hundred records. Aznavour's voice is shaded towards the tenor range, but possesses the low range and coloration more typical of a baritone, contributing to his unique sound. Aznavour speaks and sings in many languages (French
, English
, Italian
, Spanish
, German
, Russian
, Armenian
, Portuguese
, Neapolitan
), which has helped him perform at Carnegie Hall
and other major venues around the world. He also recorded at least one song from the 18th century poet Sayat Nova, in Armenian. Que C'est Triste Venise
, sung in French, Italian (Com'è Triste Venezia), Spanish (Venecia Sin Ti), English (How Sad Venice Can Be), and German (Venedig in Grau), is one of Aznavour's most famous multilingual songs.
In 1974 Aznavour became a major success in the United Kingdom
where his song "She" went to Number One in the charts. His other well-known song in the UK was "Dance in the Old Fashioned Way".
Artists who have covered his songs and collaborated with Aznavour include Fred Astaire
, Andrea Bocelli
, Bing Crosby
, Ray Charles
, Bob Dylan
(he named Aznavour among the greatest live performers he's ever seen), Liza Minnelli
, Josh Groban
, Shirley Bassey
, José Carreras
, Laura Pausini
, Nana Mouskouri
and Julio Iglesias
. Fellow French pop legend Mireille Mathieu
has sung and recorded with Aznavour on numerous occasions. In 1974, Jack Jones
recorded an entire album of Aznavour compositions entitled "Write Me A Love Song, Charlie", re-released on CD in 2006. Aznavour and Italian
tenor Luciano Pavarotti
sang Gounod's
aria Ave Maria
together. He performed with famed Russian
cellist and friend Mstislav Rostropovich
to inaugurate the French presidency of the European Union in 1995. Elvis Costello
recorded "She" for the film Notting Hill
. One of Aznavour's greatest friends and collaborators from the music industry is legendary Spanish
opera
tic tenor
Plácido Domingo
, who often performs his hits, most notably a studio recording of "Les bateaux sont partis" in 1985, as well as multiple live renditions Aznavour's "Ave Maria". In 1994, Aznavour performed with Domingo and Norwegian
soprano
Sissel Kyrkjebø
at Domingo's third annual Christmas in Vienna concert. The three singers performed a variety of carols, medleys, and duets, and the concert was televised throughout the world, as well as released on a CD
internationally.
At the start of autumn in 2006, Aznavour initiated his farewell tour, performing in the US and Canada, and earning very positive reviews. Aznavour started 2007 with concerts all over Japan and Asia. The second half of 2007 saw Aznavour return to Paris for over 20 shows at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, followed by more touring in Belgium
, the Netherlands
, and the rest of France. He has repeatedly stated that this farewell tour, health permitting, will likely last beyond 2010. At 87, Aznavour is in excellent health, although admittedly 60 years on stage have made him "a little hard of hearing". He still sings in multiple languages and without persistent use of teleprompters, but typically sticks to just two or three (French and English being the primary two, with Spanish or Italian being the third) during most concerts. On 30 September 2006, Aznavour performed a major concert in Yerevan
, the capital of Armenia to start off the cultural season "Arménie mon amie" in France. Former Armenian president Robert Kocharyan and French president Jacques Chirac
, at the time on an official visit to Armenia, were in front-row attendance.
In 2006, 82-year-old Aznavour traveled to Cuba
, where he, together with Chucho Valdes
, recorded his new album Colore Ma Vie, presented at Aznavour's Moscow
concert in April 2007. Later, in July 2007, Aznavour was invited to perform at the Vieilles Charrues Festival
.
"Forever Cool" (2007), an album from Capitol/EMI, features Aznavour singing a new duet of "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime" with the voice of the late Dean Martin
.
Aznavour finished a tour of Portugal
in February 2008. On 18 January 2008 he participated as guest vocalist with the contestants of the French reality show Star Academy
and sang his famous Emmenez-Moi with contestant Jérémy Chapron. Throughout the spring of 2008, Aznavour toured South America
, holding a multitude of concerts in Argentina
, Brazil
, Chile
, and Uruguay
. Summer saw him in Quebec
, and a return to Latin America followed in autumn.
In 2008 an album of duets, Duos, was released. It is a collaborative effort featuring Aznavour and his greatest friends and partners from his long career in the music industry, including Celine Dion
, Laura Pausini
, Josh Groban
, Plácido Domingo
, and many others. It was released on various dates in December 2008 across the world. His next album, Charles Aznavour and The Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (previously known as Jazznavour 2), is a continuation in the same vein as his hit album Jazznavour released in 1998, involving new arrangements on his classic songs with a jazz orchestra and other guest jazz artists. It was released on November 30, 2009.
In 2009 Aznavour also toured across America. The tour, named Aznavour en liberté, started in late April 2009 with a wave of concerts across the United States and Canada, took him across Latin America in the autumn, as well as the USA once again. In August 2011 Aznavour released a new album, Aznavour Toujours, featuring 11 new songs, and Elle, a French re-working of his greatest international hit, She
. Following the release of Aznavour Toujours, 87-years old Aznavour began a tour across France, named Charles Aznavour en Toute Intimité, which started with 21 concerts in the "Olympia" theatre in Paris.
's Tirez sur le pianiste
, playing a character called Édouard Saroyan. He also put in a critically acclaimed performance in the 1974 movie And Then There Were None
. Aznavour had an important supporting role in 1979's The Tin Drum
, winner of the Academy Award
for Best Foreign Language Film
in 1980. Aznavour starred in the 2002 movie Ararat playing Edward Saroyan, a movie director.
he writes the song "Pour toi Arménie
", which was performed by a group of famous French artists and topped the charts for 18 weeks. There is a square named after him in central Yerevan
on Abovian Street, and a statue erected in Gyumri
, which saw the most lives lost in the earthquake. In 1995 Charles Aznavour was appointed an Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Armenia to UNESCO
. Aznavour is a member of the Armenia Fund
International Board of Trustees. The organization has rendered more than $150 million in humanitarian aid and infrastructure development assistance to Armenia since 1992. Charles Aznavour was appointed as "Officier" (Officer) of the Légion d'honneur
in 1997.
In 2004 Aznavour received the title of "National Hero of Armenia
" for his humanitarian work, Armenia's highest award. On December 26, 2008, President of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan signed a presidential decree for granting citizenship for the Republic of Armenia
to Charles Aznavour whom he called a "prominent singer and public figure" and "a hero of the Armenian people".
An admirer of Quebec
, where he played in Montreal
cabarets before becoming famous, he has helped the career of Québécoise singer-songwriter
Lynda Lemay
in France, and has a house in Montreal. On 5 July 2008, he was invested as an honorary officer of the Order of Canada and performed the following day on the Plains of Abraham
as a feature of the celebration
of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City
.
Aznavour and famed Senegal
ese singer Youssou N'Dour
, with the collaboration of over 40 of France's most celebrated singers and musicians, recorded a music video band aid
in the aftermath of the catastrophic
2010 Haiti earthquake
, titled "1 geste pour Haïti chérie".
, Katia, Misha, Nicolas and Patrick. He currently resides in Geneva
, Switzerland
.
His musicality and fame abroad is present in many other areas of pop culture. Aznavour's name was used as the basis for the name of the character Char Aznable
by Yoshiyuki Tomino
in his anime
mecha
series, Mobile Suit Gundam
. His song "Parce Que Tu Crois
" was sampled by Hip Hop producer Dr. Dre
for the song "What's the Difference", from his album 2001. He is mentioned in The Psychedelic Furs song "Sister Europe" ("The radio upon the floor/ is stupid, it plays Aznavour").
He has often joked about his physicality, the most infamous feature of which is his limited height; he stands only 160 centimetre tall, and Aznavour has made this a source of self-deprecating humour over the years.
, when radical right-wing nationalist Jean-Marie Le Pen
of the National Front made it into the runoff election, facing incumbent Jacques Chirac
, Aznavour signed the "Vive la France" petition, and called on all French to "sing the Marseillaise
" in protest. Chirac, a personal friend of Aznavour's, ended up winning in a landslide, carrying over 82% of the vote.
He has written a song about the Armenian Genocide
, titled Ils sont tombés
(known in English as "They fell").
He has also campaigned fervently for international copyright law reform
. In November 2005 he met with President of the European Commission
José Manuel Barroso on the issue of the review of term of protection for performers and producers in the EU, advocating an extension of the EU's term of protection from the current 50 years to the United States' law allowing 95 years, saying "[o]n term of protection, artists and record companies are of the same mind. Extension of term of protection would be good for European culture, positive for the European economy and would put an end the current discrimination with the U.S." He has also notably butted heads with French politician Christine Boutin
over her defense of a "global license" flat-fee authorization for sharing of copyrighted files over the Internet, claiming that the license would eliminate creativity. In May 2009 the French Senate approved one of the strictest internet anti-piracy bills ever with a landslide 189-14 vote. Aznavour was a vocal proponent of the measure and considered it a rousing victory:
Along with holding the mostly ceremonial title of French ambassador-at-large
to Armenia, Aznavour agreed to hold the position of Ambassador
of Armenia
to Switzerland
on February 12, 2009:
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian Shahnour Vaghinak Aznavuryan, May 22, 1924, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) is an Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n-French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, actor, public activist and diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world. Charles Aznavour is known for his unique tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
voice: clear and ringing in its upper reaches, with gravelly and profound low notes. He has appeared in more than sixty movies, composed about a thousand songs (including 150 at least in English, 100 in Italian, 70 in Spanish, and 50 in German), and sold well over 100 million records.
In 1998, Charles Aznavour was named Entertainer of the Century by CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and users of Time Online from around the globe. He was recognized as the century's outstanding performer, with nearly 18% of the total vote, edging out Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
. He has sung for presidents, popes, and royalty, as well as at humanitarian events, and is the founder of the charitable organization Aznavour for Armenia along with his long-time friend impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
Levon Sayan
Levon Sayan
Levon Sayan or Levon Sanosyan is a French-Armenian impresario and producer, as well as an operatic tenor.Levon Sayan was born in Aix-en-Provence, France. He served in the French army in Indochina. He started a career as a classical singer in 1966. Sayan recorded his first disc with Renée Doria...
.
Aznavour started his global farewell tour in late 2006, and will tour France in Fall 2011. In 2009 he was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
at Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
.
Background
Aznavour was born as Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
the son of Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
immigrants Michael Aznavourian (an Armenian from Akhaltsikhe
Akhaltsikhe
Akhaltsikhe is a small city in Georgia's southwestern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti. It is situated on the both banks of a small river Potskhovi, which separates the city to the old city in the north and new in the south. The name of the city translates from Georgian as "new fortress".- History...
in nowadays Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
) and Knar Baghdasarian (from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
). His father spent his youth in Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
, where his family had moved for work (Charles's grandfather was a personal chef to Governor General in Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
). Later, after moving to France, Michael Aznavourian sang in restaurants before establishing his own Caucasian
Caucasian
Caucasian may refer to:*Anything from the Caucasus region**Peoples of the Caucasus or Caucasian peoples, humans from the Caucasus region**Languages of the Caucasus, languages spoken in the Caucasus region...
restaurant called Le Caucase. Together with his wife, who was an actress, Michael introduced Charles to the world of theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
at an early age. Charles dropped out of school at the age of nine, already aspiring to the life of an artist. He began to perform at this time, and soon took the stage name "Aznavour". His big break came in 1946 when the singer Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
heard him sing and arranged to take him with her on tour in France and to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Music
Often described as "France's Frank SinatraFrank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
", Aznavour sings frequently about love. He has written musicals and about a thousand songs, and made more than one hundred records. Aznavour's voice is shaded towards the tenor range, but possesses the low range and coloration more typical of a baritone, contributing to his unique sound. Aznavour speaks and sings in many languages (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, Neapolitan
Neapolitan language
Neapolitan is the language of the city and region of Naples , and Campania. On October 14, 2008 a law by the Region of Campania stated that the Neapolitan language had to be protected....
), which has helped him perform at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
and other major venues around the world. He also recorded at least one song from the 18th century poet Sayat Nova, in Armenian. Que C'est Triste Venise
Que C'est Triste Venise (Charles Aznavour song)
Que C'est Triste Venise is a song written by Françoise Dorin and sung by Armenian-French artist Charles Aznavour about Venice...
, sung in French, Italian (Com'è Triste Venezia), Spanish (Venecia Sin Ti), English (How Sad Venice Can Be), and German (Venedig in Grau), is one of Aznavour's most famous multilingual songs.
In 1974 Aznavour became a major success in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
where his song "She" went to Number One in the charts. His other well-known song in the UK was "Dance in the Old Fashioned Way".
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
, Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli, is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist. Born with poor eyesight, he became blind at the age of twelve following a soccer accident....
, Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
(he named Aznavour among the greatest live performers he's ever seen), Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
, Josh Groban
Josh Groban
Joshua Winslow "Josh" Groban is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His four solo albums have been certified at least multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number-one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in that country...
, Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
, José Carreras
José Carreras
Josep Maria Carreras i Coll , better known as José Carreras , is a Spanish Catalan tenor particularly known for his performances in the operas of Verdi and Puccini...
, Laura Pausini
Laura Pausini
Laura Pausini, is a Grammy Award-winning Italian soul singer-songwriter. She debuted in 1993, winning the newcomer artists' section of the 43rd Sanremo Music Festival with the song "La solitudine", which became an Italian standard and an international hit, reaching the top spot on the Italian...
, Nana Mouskouri
Nana Mouskouri
Nana Mouskouri , born Ioánna Moúschouri on October 13, 1934, in Chania, Crete, Greece, is a Greek singer who has sold about 300 million records worldwide in a career spanning over five decades, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She was known as Nána to her friends and...
and Julio Iglesias
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva , better known simply as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history,...
. Fellow French pop legend Mireille Mathieu
Mireille Mathieu
Mireille Mathieu is a French chanteuse, and pop singer. Hailed in the French press as the successor to Édith Piaf, she has achieved great commercial success, recording over 1200 songs in nine different languages, with more than 120 million records sold worldwide.-Childhood to early...
has sung and recorded with Aznavour on numerous occasions. In 1974, Jack Jones
Jack Jones (singer)
John Allan "Jack" Jones is an American jazz and pop singer. He was one of the most popular vocalists of the 1960s.-Overview:...
recorded an entire album of Aznavour compositions entitled "Write Me A Love Song, Charlie", re-released on CD in 2006. Aznavour and Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
tenor Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
sang Gounod's
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod was a French composer, known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:...
aria Ave Maria
Ave Maria (Gounod)
The Bach/Gounod Ave Maria is a popular and much-recorded setting of the Latin text Ave Maria.Written by French Romantic composer Charles Gounod in 1859, his Ave Maria consists of a melody superimposed over the Prelude No. 1 in C major, BWV 846, from Book I of The Well-Tempered Clavier, written by...
together. He performed with famed Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
cellist and friend Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, KBE , known to close friends as Slava, was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. He is widely considered to have been the greatest cellist of the second half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest of...
to inaugurate the French presidency of the European Union in 1995. Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
recorded "She" for the film Notting Hill
Notting Hill (film)
Notting Hill is a 1999 British romantic comedy film set in Notting Hill, London, released on 21 May 1999. The screenplay was by Richard Curtis, who had written Four Weddings and a Funeral. It was produced by Duncan Kenworthy and directed by Roger Michell...
. One of Aznavour's greatest friends and collaborators from the music industry is legendary Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
, who often performs his hits, most notably a studio recording of "Les bateaux sont partis" in 1985, as well as multiple live renditions Aznavour's "Ave Maria". In 1994, Aznavour performed with Domingo and Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
Sissel Kyrkjebø
Sissel Kyrkjebø
Sissel Kyrkjebø , also simply known as Sissel, is a Norwegian soprano.Sissel is considered one of the world's top crossover sopranos. Sissel's musical style runs the gamut from pop recordings and folk songs, to classical vocals and operatic arias...
at Domingo's third annual Christmas in Vienna concert. The three singers performed a variety of carols, medleys, and duets, and the concert was televised throughout the world, as well as released on a CD
Christmas in Vienna III
Christmas in Vienna III is a 1995 Christmas album released by Spanish operatic tenor Plácido Domingo, French chanson and pop music star Charles Aznavour, and Norwegian crossover soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø on the Sony Classical label.It was recorded on December 22, 1994 at the Alte Winterreitschule in...
internationally.
At the start of autumn in 2006, Aznavour initiated his farewell tour, performing in the US and Canada, and earning very positive reviews. Aznavour started 2007 with concerts all over Japan and Asia. The second half of 2007 saw Aznavour return to Paris for over 20 shows at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, followed by more touring in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and the rest of France. He has repeatedly stated that this farewell tour, health permitting, will likely last beyond 2010. At 87, Aznavour is in excellent health, although admittedly 60 years on stage have made him "a little hard of hearing". He still sings in multiple languages and without persistent use of teleprompters, but typically sticks to just two or three (French and English being the primary two, with Spanish or Italian being the third) during most concerts. On 30 September 2006, Aznavour performed a major concert in Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, the capital of Armenia to start off the cultural season "Arménie mon amie" in France. Former Armenian president Robert Kocharyan and French president Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
, at the time on an official visit to Armenia, were in front-row attendance.
In 2006, 82-year-old Aznavour traveled to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, where he, together with Chucho Valdes
Chucho Valdés
Chucho Valdés is a Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger. In 1972 he founded the group Irakere, one of Cuba's best-known Latin jazz bands. Together with pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Valdés is revered as one of Cuba's greatest jazz pianists...
, recorded his new album Colore Ma Vie, presented at Aznavour's Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
concert in April 2007. Later, in July 2007, Aznavour was invited to perform at the Vieilles Charrues Festival
Vieilles Charrues Festival
The Vieilles Charrues Festival is held every year in mid-July in the city of Carhaix located in the west of Brittany.This festival is the largest music festival in France, attracting more than 200,000 festival-goers every year . This festival was created in 1992 in Landeleau, a small village in...
.
"Forever Cool" (2007), an album from Capitol/EMI, features Aznavour singing a new duet of "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime" with the voice of the late Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
.
Aznavour finished a tour of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in February 2008. On 18 January 2008 he participated as guest vocalist with the contestants of the French reality show Star Academy
Star Academy
Star Academy is a highly successful television show format based on the Spanish format "Operación Triunfo" produced by Endemol, that has been broadcast in over 50 countries...
and sang his famous Emmenez-Moi with contestant Jérémy Chapron. Throughout the spring of 2008, Aznavour toured South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, holding a multitude of concerts in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. Summer saw him in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and a return to Latin America followed in autumn.
In 2008 an album of duets, Duos, was released. It is a collaborative effort featuring Aznavour and his greatest friends and partners from his long career in the music industry, including Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, Laura Pausini
Laura Pausini
Laura Pausini, is a Grammy Award-winning Italian soul singer-songwriter. She debuted in 1993, winning the newcomer artists' section of the 43rd Sanremo Music Festival with the song "La solitudine", which became an Italian standard and an international hit, reaching the top spot on the Italian...
, Josh Groban
Josh Groban
Joshua Winslow "Josh" Groban is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His four solo albums have been certified at least multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number-one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in that country...
, Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
, and many others. It was released on various dates in December 2008 across the world. His next album, Charles Aznavour and The Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (previously known as Jazznavour 2), is a continuation in the same vein as his hit album Jazznavour released in 1998, involving new arrangements on his classic songs with a jazz orchestra and other guest jazz artists. It was released on November 30, 2009.
In 2009 Aznavour also toured across America. The tour, named Aznavour en liberté, started in late April 2009 with a wave of concerts across the United States and Canada, took him across Latin America in the autumn, as well as the USA once again. In August 2011 Aznavour released a new album, Aznavour Toujours, featuring 11 new songs, and Elle, a French re-working of his greatest international hit, She
She
She is the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English.She can also may refer to:-Literature and film:* She: A History of Adventure, a novel by H...
. Following the release of Aznavour Toujours, 87-years old Aznavour began a tour across France, named Charles Aznavour en Toute Intimité, which started with 21 concerts in the "Olympia" theatre in Paris.
Film
Aznavour has had a long and varied parallel career as an actor, appearing in over 60 films. In 1960 Aznavour starred in François TruffautFrançois Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut was an influential film critic and filmmaker and one of the founders of the French New Wave. In a film career lasting over a quarter of a century, he remains an icon of the French film industry. He was also a screenwriter, producer, and actor working on over twenty-five...
's Tirez sur le pianiste
Shoot the Piano Player
Shoot the Piano Player is a 1960 French film directed by François Truffaut, starring Charles Aznavour.The film is loosely based on the novel Down There by David Goodis.- Plot summary :...
, playing a character called Édouard Saroyan. He also put in a critically acclaimed performance in the 1974 movie And Then There Were None
And Then There Were None (1974 film)
And Then There Were None is a 1974 film version of the Agatha Christie mystery novel of the same name. Two previous theatrical adaptations were released in 1945 and 1965, and a videotaped made-for-television version was broadcast in 1959...
. Aznavour had an important supporting role in 1979's The Tin Drum
The Tin Drum (film)
The Tin Drum is a 1979 film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Günter Grass. It was directed and co-written by Volker Schlöndorff...
, winner of the Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
in 1980. Aznavour starred in the 2002 movie Ararat playing Edward Saroyan, a movie director.
Armenia and abroad
Since the 1988 earthquake in Armenia, Aznavour has been helping the country through his charity, Aznavour for Armenia. Together with his brother in-law and co-author Georges GarvarentzGeorges Garvarentz
Georges Garvarentz was an Armenian-French composer, noted for his music for Charles Aznavour's songs.-Biography:Georges Garvarents was born in Athens, Greece, to a family of Armenian immigrants...
he writes the song "Pour toi Arménie
Pour toi Arménie
"Pour toi Arménie" is a 1989 song written and composed by Charles Aznavour, and recorded by a group of French singers who were popular at the time. This charity single was intended to raise funds to help the Armenians who lived a terrible earthquake on December 7, 1988...
", which was performed by a group of famous French artists and topped the charts for 18 weeks. There is a square named after him in central Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
on Abovian Street, and a statue erected in Gyumri
Gyumri
Gyumri is the capital and largest city of the Shirak Province in northwest Armenia. It is located about 120 km from the capital Yerevan, and, with a population of 168,918 , is the second-largest city in Armenia.The name of the city has been changed many times in history...
, which saw the most lives lost in the earthquake. In 1995 Charles Aznavour was appointed an Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Armenia to UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. Aznavour is a member of the Armenia Fund
Armenia Fund
Armenia Fund Established in 1994 in Los Angeles, California, Armenia Fund, Inc. is a 501 tax-exempt, non-governmental, non-political corporation. Serving as the United States’ Western Region affiliate of the “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund along with its nineteen subsidiaries around the world, Armenia...
International Board of Trustees. The organization has rendered more than $150 million in humanitarian aid and infrastructure development assistance to Armenia since 1992. Charles Aznavour was appointed as "Officier" (Officer) of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
in 1997.
In 2004 Aznavour received the title of "National Hero of Armenia
National Hero of Armenia
National Hero of Armenia is the highest title in the Republic of Armenia. The law on the title has been in effect since April 22, 1994. The highest title is awarded for outstanding services of national importance to the Republic of Armenia in defense and strengthening of the state system and...
" for his humanitarian work, Armenia's highest award. On December 26, 2008, President of Armenia
President of Armenia
President of Armenia is the title of the head of state of Armenia since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.-Democratic Republic of Armenia :*Avetis Aharonyan *Avetik Sahakyan *Avetis Aharonyan -Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and Armenian...
Serzh Sargsyan signed a presidential decree for granting citizenship for the Republic of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
to Charles Aznavour whom he called a "prominent singer and public figure" and "a hero of the Armenian people".
An admirer of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, where he played in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
cabarets before becoming famous, he has helped the career of Québécoise singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Lynda Lemay
Lynda Lemay
Lynda Lemay is a Canadian francophone singer-songwriter. Through her mother she is a descendant of Zacharie Cloutier....
in France, and has a house in Montreal. On 5 July 2008, he was invested as an honorary officer of the Order of Canada and performed the following day on the Plains of Abraham
Plains of Abraham
The Plains of Abraham is a historic area within The Battlefields Park in Quebec City, Quebec, that was originally grazing land, but became famous as the site of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, which took place on 13 September 1759. Though written into the history books, housing and minor...
as a feature of the celebration
Quebec City Summer Festival
The Festival d'été, or Summer Festival , has been taking place annually since 1968. It is organized by groups of businesspersons and artists of Quebec City in order to show the artistic, economic, and tourist potential of the region...
of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
.
Aznavour and famed Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
ese singer Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer, percussionist and occasional actor. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, in Senegal and much of Africa, "perhaps the most famous singer alive." He helped develop a style of popular music in Senegal, known in the Serer language as mbalax, a type of music...
, with the collaboration of over 40 of France's most celebrated singers and musicians, recorded a music video band aid
Band Aid
Band Aid may refer to:* Band Aid , a musical ensemble raising money for famine relief* "Band Aid", a song on Pixie Lott's album Turn It Up* Band-Aid, a brand of adhesive bandage** Adhesive bandage, a genericised trademark...
in the aftermath of the catastrophic
Disaster
A disaster is a natural or man-made hazard that has come to fruition, resulting in an event of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment...
2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
, titled "1 geste pour Haïti chérie".
Personal life and cultural impact
Aznavour married his third wife, Swede Ulla Thorsell, in 1968. He has 5 children - SedaSeda Aznavour
Seda Aznavour is a French-Armenian female singer and artist, the daughter of Charles Aznavour.She studied at the Armenian Virgins College of Paris, at Jan-Luciere and Matie Alter musical schools....
, Katia, Misha, Nicolas and Patrick. He currently resides in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
His musicality and fame abroad is present in many other areas of pop culture. Aznavour's name was used as the basis for the name of the character Char Aznable
Char Aznable
, born is a fictional character from the Gundam franchise. He is originally one of the main antagonists in Mobile Suit Gundam and later becomes one of the protagonists of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. In his final appearance in Char's Counterattack, he assumes leadership of the Neo Zeon movement,...
by Yoshiyuki Tomino
Yoshiyuki Tomino
is a Japanese mecha anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art...
in his anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
series, Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
. His song "Parce Que Tu Crois
Parce Que Tu Crois
"Parce que tu crois" is a song by Armenian-French singer Charles Aznavour. It was released on his 1966 album Chante Paris au mois d'août....
" was sampled by Hip Hop producer Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
for the song "What's the Difference", from his album 2001. He is mentioned in The Psychedelic Furs song "Sister Europe" ("The radio upon the floor/ is stupid, it plays Aznavour").
He has often joked about his physicality, the most infamous feature of which is his limited height; he stands only 160 centimetre tall, and Aznavour has made this a source of self-deprecating humour over the years.
Politics
Charles Aznavour has been increasingly involved in French, Armenian, and international politics as his career has progressed. During the 2002 French presidential electionsFrench presidential election, 2002
The 2002 French presidential election consisted of a first round election on 21 April 2002, and a runoff election between the top two candidates on 5 May 2002. This presidential contest attracted a greater than usual amount of international attention because of Le Pen's unexpected appearance in...
, when radical right-wing nationalist Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen is a French far right-wing and nationalist politician who is founder and former president of the Front National party. Le Pen has run for the French presidency five times, most notably in 2002, when in a surprise upset he came second, polling more votes in the first round than...
of the National Front made it into the runoff election, facing incumbent Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
, Aznavour signed the "Vive la France" petition, and called on all French to "sing the Marseillaise
La Marseillaise
"La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song, originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792. The French National Convention adopted it as the Republic's anthem in 1795...
" in protest. Chirac, a personal friend of Aznavour's, ended up winning in a landslide, carrying over 82% of the vote.
He has written a song about the Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
, titled Ils sont tombés
Ils Sont Tombés (Charles Aznavour song)
Ils Sont Tombés is a song released in 1976, written by Charles Aznavour and Georges Garvarentz in 1975 and dedicated to the memory of Armenian Genocide victims. It was subsequently released in English . The text is also translated into Russian and Armenian .-External links:* * * *...
(known in English as "They fell").
He has also campaigned fervently for international copyright law reform
History of copyright law
The history of copyright law starts with early privileges and monopolies granted to printers of books. The British Statute of Anne 1709, full title "An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by vesting the Copies of Printed Books in the Authors or purchasers of such Copies, during the Times therein...
. In November 2005 he met with President of the European Commission
President of the European Commission
The President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission ― the executive branch of the :European Union ― the most powerful officeholder in the EU. The President is responsible for allocating portfolios to members of the Commission and can reshuffle or dismiss them if needed...
José Manuel Barroso on the issue of the review of term of protection for performers and producers in the EU, advocating an extension of the EU's term of protection from the current 50 years to the United States' law allowing 95 years, saying "[o]n term of protection, artists and record companies are of the same mind. Extension of term of protection would be good for European culture, positive for the European economy and would put an end the current discrimination with the U.S." He has also notably butted heads with French politician Christine Boutin
Christine Boutin
Christine Boutin is a French politician and a major Christian democratic figure in France. She served as a member of the French National Assembly representing Yvelines, from 1986 until 2007, when she was appointed Minister of Housing and Urban Development by President Nicolas Sarkozy...
over her defense of a "global license" flat-fee authorization for sharing of copyrighted files over the Internet, claiming that the license would eliminate creativity. In May 2009 the French Senate approved one of the strictest internet anti-piracy bills ever with a landslide 189-14 vote. Aznavour was a vocal proponent of the measure and considered it a rousing victory:
"If the youth can't make a living through creative work, they will do something else and the artistic world will be dealt a blow... There will be no more songs, no more books, nothing at all. So we had to fight", said Aznavour.
Along with holding the mostly ceremonial title of French ambassador-at-large
Ambassador-at-large
An ambassador-at-large is a Diplomat of the highest rank or a Minister who is accredited to represent his country internationally.Unlike an ambassador-in-residence who is usually limited to a country and/or embassy, the ambassador-at-large is entrusted to operate in several usually neighboring...
to Armenia, Aznavour agreed to hold the position of Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
on February 12, 2009:
"First I hesitated, as it is not an easy task. Then I thought that what is important for Armenia is important for us. I have accepted the proposal with love, happiness and feeling of deep dignity", said Aznavour.
Awards and recognition
- 1963, 1971 and 1980 - Edison Awards (three-time awardwinner)
- 1971 - Golden LionGolden LionIl Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes...
Honorary Award at the Venice Film FestivalVenice Film FestivalThe Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
for the Italian version of the song Mourir d'aimer - 1995 - Large Medal of the French Academy
- 1995 - Ambassador of Goodwill and Permanent Delegate of Armenia to UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
- 1996 - Induction into the Songwriters Hall of FameSongwriters Hall of FameThe Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
- 1997 - French VictoireVictoires de la MusiqueVictoires de la musique , is an annual French award ceremony that recognizes the best musical artists of the year.- Male artist of the year :*1985 : Michel Jonasz*1986 : Jean-Jacques Goldman*1987 : Johnny Hallyday...
award for Male artist of the year - 1997 - Honorary César AwardCésar AwardThe César Award is the national film award of France, first given out in 1975. The nominations are selected by the members of the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma....
- 1997 - Officier (Officer) of the Legion d'honneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
- 2004 - National Hero of ArmeniaNational Hero of ArmeniaNational Hero of Armenia is the highest title in the Republic of Armenia. The law on the title has been in effect since April 22, 1994. The highest title is awarded for outstanding services of national importance to the Republic of Armenia in defense and strengthening of the state system and...
- 2006 - Honorary prize at 30th Cairo Film Festival
- 2008 - Honorary Officer of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
- 2008 - Citizenship of the Republic of ArmeniaArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
- 2009 - MIDEMMidem-MIDEM:Short for Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale, MIDEM is the world's largest music industry trade fair, which has been held annually at and around the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, since 1967...
Lifetime Achievement Award - 2009 - Grigor Lusavorich award of Nagorno-Karabakh RepublicNagorno-Karabakh RepublicThe Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , or Artsakh Republic is a de facto independent republic located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia...
- 2009 - Officer of the National Order of QuebecNational Order of QuebecThe National Order of Quebec, termed officially in French as l'Ordre national du Québec, and in English abbreviation as the Order of Quebec, is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Quebec...
Actor
- La Guerre des gosses (1936) – Extra
- Adieu chérie (1946) (as Aznavour) – Le duettiste
- Entrez dans la danse (1948)
- Une gosse sensass (1957) – Le chanteur
- Paris Music Hall (1957) – Charles
- La Tête contre les murs (1959) – Heurtevent
- Les Dragueurs (1959) – Joseph Bouvier
- Pourquoi viens-tu si tard? (1959) – Un danseur
- Oh! Qué mambo (1959) (uncredited) – Un spectateur au cabaret
- Le Testament d'Orphée (1960) (uncredited) – The Curious Man
- Un taxi pour TobroukUn taxi pour TobroukUn taxi pour Tobrouk is a 1960 French film directed by Denys de La Patellière. The music is written by Georges Garvarentz.Story takes place during the World War II in the African desert at the crucial battle in El Alamein....
(1960) – Samuel Goldmann - Tomorrow Is My Turn (Le Passage du Rhin) (1960) – Roger
- Tirez sur le pianiste (1960) – Charlie Kohler/Édouard Saroyan
- Gosse de Paris (1961)
- Les Lions sont lâchés (1961) – Charles, un convive de Marie-Laure
- Esame di guida - tempo di Roma (1962) – Marcello
- Horace 62 (1962) – Horace Fabiani
- Le Diable et les dix commandementsLe Diable et les Dix CommandementsLe Diable et les Dix Commandements , is a French comedy-drama film from 1963, directed by Julien Duvivier, written by David Alexander and Michel Audiard, starring Michel Simon and Louis de Funès...
(1962) – Denis Mayeux (episode "Homicide point ne seras") - Les Quatre véritésThree Fables of LoveThree Fables of Love is a 1962 French-Italian-Spanish comedy film starring Anna Karina. It was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the 67th Venice International Film Festival.-Cast:* Manuel Alexandre* Ángel Álvarez...
(1962) – Charles - Les Vierges (1963) – Berthet
- Cherchez l'Idole (1963) – Aznavour
- Le Rat d'AmériqueRat Trap (film)Rat Trap is a 1963 French adventure film directed by Jean-Gabriel Albicocco. It was entered into the 1963 Cannes Film Festival. -Cast:* Charles Aznavour - Charles* Richard Badouh* Franco Fabrizi* Matias Ferreira Diaz* Sara Gimenez* Emilio Gnocchi...
(1963) – Charles - Thomas l'imposteurThomas l'imposteurThomas the Impostor is a 1964 French film directed by Georges Franju and starring Emmanuelle Riva, Fabrice Rouleau, Sophie Dares, Jean Marais and Charles Aznavour. It is based on a novel of the same name by Jean Cocteau, which had first been published in French in 1923 and had been inspired by...
(1964) - Alta infedeltàHigh InfidelityHigh Infidelity is a 1964 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli, Elio Petri, Franco Rossi and Luciano Salce.-Cast:* Nino Manfredi as Francesco * Fulvia Franco as Raffaella...
(1964) – Giulio (segment "Peccato nel Pomeriggio") - La Métamorphose des cloportes (1965) – Edmond
- Le Facteur s'en va-t-en guerre (1966) – Thibon
- Paris au mois d'août (1966) – Henri Plantin
- Caroline chérie (1968) – Postillon
- Candy (1968) – Hunchback juggler
- Le Temps des loups (1969) – Inspector
- The Adventurers (1970) – Marcel Campion
- L'Amour (1970) – Le présentateur
- The Games (1970) – Pavel Vendek
- The Selfish Giant (1971) – Narrator (French version)
- Un beau monstre (1971) – Inspector Leroy
- Part des lions (1971) – Éric Chambon
- Les Intrus (1972) – Charles Bernard
- The BlockhouseThe BlockhouseThe Blockhouse is a 1973 film, based on a novel by Jean-Paul Clébert. It was directed by Clive Rees and starred Peter Sellers and Charles Aznavour. It was filmed entirely in Guernsey in the Channel Islands and was entered into the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival...
(1973) – Visconti - Dix Petits Negres (1974) Dir Peter Colinson, Produit par Gerard Thum
- Ein Unbekannter rechnet ab (1974) – Michel Raven
- Sky RidersSky RidersSky Riders is a 1976 American action film directed by Douglas Hickox and starring James Coburn, Susannah York and Robert Culp. A woman and her children are kidnapped in Athens and held in a mountain-top monastery as hostages by a revolutionary terrorist movement...
(1976) – Insp. Nikolidis - Folies bourgeoisesThe Twist (film)The Twist is a 1976 film co-written and directed by Claude Chabrol. Its title in French is Folies bourgeoises .-Plot:...
(1976) – Dr. Lartigue - Die BlechtrommelThe Tin Drum (film)The Tin Drum is a 1979 film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Günter Grass. It was directed and co-written by Volker Schlöndorff...
(1979) – Sigismund Markus - Ciao, les mecs (1979) – L'amnésique
- Der Zauberberg (1982) – Naphta
- Qu'est-ce qui fait courir David? (1982) – Léon, le père de David
- Les Fantômes du chapelierThe Hatter's GhostThe Hatter's Ghost is a 1982 film directed by Claude Chabrol. It is based on the 1947 novel Le Petit Tailleur et le Chapelier by Georges Simenon. The film takes place in Brittany and was shot in the towns of Concarneau and Quimper.-Plot:...
(1982) – Kachoudas - Une jeunesse (1983) – Bellun
- Viva la vie! (1984) – Édouard Takvorian
- Yiddish Connection (1986) – Aaron Rapoport
- Mangeclous (1988) – Jérémie
- Il Maestro (1989) – Romualdi
- Le chinois (1989) – Charles Cotrel
- Charles Aznavour Armenia 1989 (1989)
- Les Années campagne (1992) – Le grand-père/Grandfather
- Pondichéry, dernier comptoir des Indes (1997) – Léo Bauman
- Le Comédien (1997) – Monsieur Maillard
- Laguna (2001)
- Truth About Charlie (2002) – Himself
- AraratArarat (film)Ararat is a 2002 film directed, written, and co-produced by Atom Egoyan based loosely on the Siege of Van during the Armenian Genocide, an event that is disputed by the government of Turkey. In addition to exploring the human impact of that specific historical event, the film also examines the...
(2002) – Edward Saroyan - Le Père Goriot (2004) – Jean-Joachim Goriot
- Ennemis publics (2005)
- The ColonelThe Colonel (2006 film)The Colonel is a 2006 French-Belgian film directed by Laurent Herbiet based on the novel by Francis Zamponi.- Plot :France, 1993. The retired Colonel Raoul Duplan is shot in his home. As the police is baffled, the young army officer Galois leads the investigation...
(2006) – Père Rossi - UpUp (2009 film)Up is a 2009 American computer-animated comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and presented in Disney Digital 3-D. The film premiered on May 29, 2009 in North America and opened the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first animated and 3D film...
(2009) – Carl Fredricksen (French Voice)
Video
- 1977 Großer Unterhaltungsabend – Charles Aznavour (Essen, Germany 1977). VHS Nikkatsu Video Films Co., Ltd./Japan
- 1982 An Evening with Charles Aznavour (Duke of York's Theatre, London 1982). VIP Videocasette Diffusion, VHS SECAM MU 550
Laserdisc
- 1982 An Evening with Charles Aznavour (Duke of York's Theatre, London 1982) [content differs from the video version]
DVD
- 1999 Aznavour Live - Palais des Congrès 97/98 (EMI)
- 2001 Aznavour Live - Olympia 68/72/78/80 (EMI)
- 2001 Charles Aznavour au Carnegie Hall (New York, June 1996) (EMI)
- 2001 AZNAVOUR – Pour toi Arménie (At Erevan Opera, September 1996)
- 2002 Patrick Bruel – Entre-Deux (C. Aznavour sings Parlez-moi d'amour [with Patrick Bruel])
- 2003 AZNAVOUR LIVE – Palais des Congrès 1994 (EMI)
- 2004 Aznavour – Minelli au Palais des Congrès de Paris (EMI)
- 2004 Toronto 1980 (as a Bonus to the Aznavour/Indispensables CD Boxset) (EMI)
- 2004 80, Bon Anniversaire Charles – Palais des congrès 2004 (EMI)
- 2004 Bon anniversaire Charles! (TV broadcast concert for Charles Aznavour 80th anniversary, May 22, 2004) (EMI)
- 2005 Charles Aznavour 2000 – Concert intégral (EMI)
- 2006 The Royal Opera – Die Fledermaus (Covent Garden, London 31-12-1983) (C. Aznavour sings She)
- 2007 Charles Aznavour : En concert à Erevan (EMI)
- 2007 Aznavour - Palais des Congrès de Paris (1987) [not the same concert as the CD version] (EMI)
- 2008 Charles Aznavour et ses amis au Palais Garnier (EMI)
- 2009 Anthologie 1955-1972 - 3 DVD Box Set (PAL Only) (INA / EMI)
- 2010 Anthologie volume 2 1973 - 1999 - 3 DVD Box Set (PAL Only) (INA / EMI)
FILMS Documentary
- Charles Aznavour - Armenia 1989, (Armenfilm) 1989 color 10min. 35mm. Director Levon MkrtchyanLevon MkrtchyanMovie director Levon Mkrtchyan , is an Armenian director known for his documentaries, "Davit Anhaght," "Charentz: Known and Unknown Sides", "Jean Garzu", "Mesrop Mashtots", "My Komitas", "And There Was Light", "The Manuscript of Independence" which was dedicated to the 10th anniversary of...
. The film is about the humanitarian aid that Charles Aznavour, a famous French singer of Armenian origin, brought to Armenia after the Spitak earthquake in 1988. - Christmas in Vienna IIIChristmas in Vienna IIIChristmas in Vienna III is a 1995 Christmas album released by Spanish operatic tenor Plácido Domingo, French chanson and pop music star Charles Aznavour, and Norwegian crossover soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø on the Sony Classical label.It was recorded on December 22, 1994 at the Alte Winterreitschule in...
, A Christmas gala concert live from Vienna on 22 December 1994 with Aznavour, Plácido Domingo and Sissel KyrkjebøSissel KyrkjebøSissel Kyrkjebø , also simply known as Sissel, is a Norwegian soprano.Sissel is considered one of the world's top crossover sopranos. Sissel's musical style runs the gamut from pop recordings and folk songs, to classical vocals and operatic arias...
, featuring the Vienna Symphony conducted by famed CroatianCroatsCroats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
conductorConductingConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
Vjekoslav ŠutejVjekoslav ŠutejVjekoslav Šutej was a prominent Croatian orchestral conductor.-Overview:Šutej studied conducting under Igor Gjadrov at the Zagreb Music Academy, before obtaining his Master of Music degree in Rome in the class of Franco Ferrara.From 1979 to 1989 he was art director and chief conductor at the...
. - Making of "Colore ma vie", A making-of featurette released in 2007 coinciding with the release of Aznavour's latest studio album, Colore ma vie. Filmed in HavanaHavanaHavana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
and Paris, it shows his collaboration with Chucho Valdez and the thoughts, opinions, and artistry the two put into the album. - Appeared on The Muppet ShowThe Muppet ShowThe Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
Episode 9. Taping Dates: June 29 - July 1, 1976. Original Airdates: January 17, 1977 (New York) and January 22, 1977 (LA)
See also
- List of best-selling music artists
- Franco-Armenian relations
- Ils Sont TombésIls Sont Tombés (Charles Aznavour song)Ils Sont Tombés is a song released in 1976, written by Charles Aznavour and Georges Garvarentz in 1975 and dedicated to the memory of Armenian Genocide victims. It was subsequently released in English . The text is also translated into Russian and Armenian .-External links:* * * *...
External links
- Official site
- Charles Aznavour on imusic.am
- Biography by Radio France International
- Charles Aznavour - Armenian-Russian Pages