Charles Aznavour The voice of France. Kevin Rodriguez

Early Years  Born Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian on May 22, 1924  From Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris, France.  Parents were Michael Aznavourian and Knar Baghdasarian, survivors of the Armenian Genocide

Early Years (continued)  Michael Aznavourian became a singer in France and started his restaurant called Le Caucase.  Missak Manouchian, Resistiance leader later assassinated by the Nazis, was a frequent guest.  At an early age, Michael and Knar Aznavourian introduced Charles to art and theatre. Charles dropped out of school to be an artist at age nine.

Missak Manouchian

First Tour  Édith Piaf discovered Charles singing in 1946  Went on tour in France and the US. Charles was 22. La Vie En Rose (1946) Life in Pink

Musical Career  Aznavour speaks French, English, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Armenian, Portuguese, and Neapolitan, allowing him to sing all over the world.  He is known for his unique tenor and upper range register.  His music is widely listened to all around the world.

Musical Career  Throughout his entire career, Aznavour has written over 1000 songs and musicals, and has made over 100 records.  His recognition as a major international artist came in 1974 with the song “She” making #1 in the UK charts.

Musical Career  Aznavour’s most famous multilingual song is “Que C’est Triste Venise” which is sung in French, Italian, Spanish, English, and German.  Translates into “How Sad Venice Can Be” Recorded in 1964, stayed on the Billboard Top 100 until This is actually my parents’ wedding song.

Musical Legacy  Charles Aznavour recorded with and influenced hundreds of artists including: Edith Piaf, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Andrea Bocelli, Bing Crosby, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Liza Minnelli, Elton John, Josh Groban, Julio Eglesias, and even Dr. Dre.

Musical Legacy Dr. Dre’s song “What’s the Difference” feat. Eminem and Xzibit sampled “Parce Que Tu Crois.”

The Psychedelic Furs This post-punk band’s song “Sister Europe” was inspired by Aznavour.

Beach Party Complex

Musical Legacy MX_sumqP0

Legacy  Aznavour brought fame to so many other spectrums, in music, film, and politics.

Film Career  Since 1936, Charles Aznavour has been involved in the film industry. He has starred in 60 films, and has been featured in many many more.

Film Career  The first movie Aznavour starred in is “Tirez sur le Pianiste” or “Shoot the Pianist“ (1960).  His character’s name was Édouard Saroyan, a pianist who changes his identity after the suicide of his wife.

Film Career  In the 1974 film “And Then There Were None,” Aznavour gave a critically acclaimed performance of a man named Michel Raven who is accused of having run over two people in Paris while driving under the influence of alcohol. SRYN3-Rs7A

Film Career  In 1979, Aznavour was in the film “The Tin Drum” as Sigismund Markus and is renowned for his performance as the supporting actor. This film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1979, and won the Palme d’Or at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival in France.

Political Career  Later in his career in showbusiness, Aznavour became increasingly involved in politics, specifically for Armenia, France, and most recently, Switzerland.  During the 2002 French presidential elections, Aznavour signed a petition and helped Jacques Chirac beat Jean-Marie Le Pen, a radical right-wing nationalist of the National Front.

Political Career  Aznavour has also spoken up and written a song about the Armenian Genocide that took place from killing over 1/3 the Armenian population.  The song is called “Ils sont Tombés” or “They Fell”

Political Career  In 2005, Aznavour went on a massive campaign for copyright law reform stating “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.”  In May 2009, the French senate approved one of the strictest internet anti-piracy bills ever.

Political Career  In 2009, Charles Aznavour received the title of Ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland, while already holding the title of Ambassador -at-large of France to Armenia.

The Global and Cultural Icon  Through all of his music, films, and political involvements, Charles Aznavour had forever changed not only France, but the entire world. He is the epitome of role models for today’s youth and now at the age of 88 still sings, records, tours, and practices as an Ambassador.

SOURCES Charles Aznavour IMDb page Charles Aznavour wikipedia Charles Aznavour by Yves Salgues 1978 Charles Aznavour: Memories of My Life - The Autobiography by Charles Aznavour