The recent Armenia- Azerbaijan war over the long disputed Ngorno - Karabak region, has reminded me of the legendary french singer, composer, and actor of armenian descent, Charles Aznavour (Aznavourian).
Aznavour, who passed away in 2018, at the age of 94, was considered a national hero in Armenia, the country of his ancestors. He received there all the possible honors and rewards for his activities in favor of the Armenian people. The PM of Armenia participated at his funeral along with Macron, the PM of France.
I'm always moved when I read about his commitment to Armenia as I know of some people who have become rich and famous and never ever look back at their country of origin.
I cannot mention Aznavour, without revealing that I'm heavily addicted to a You Tube video with the brilliant performance of his famous song 'Hier Encore', translated in English as 'Yesterday when I was young' (see my post entitled '20 years old' from May 3, 2009).
In this video, the 84 year old Aznavour, accompanied by two beautiful, young female singers (probably symbolizing the age of 20), mourns his lost youth. "Only yesterday/I was twenty years old/I wasted the time/Thinking I could make it stop" - moans the elderly man.
Many of us could relate to this song in which the lyricist reaches the sad conclusion that he has wasted his life on follies, on dreams, soaring hopes, and futile loves..
I like the frankness in this song; in real life, too many people claim they have no regrets about their past doings. Hard to believe them.
I do have regrets.
You have very good taste, Duta. Aznavour was a consummate artist with incredible skill to interpret a song. Armenians throughout history have suffered more than their share, and if he could be a hero in the land of his ancestors, so much the better. It is true that we all have regrets. They key is not to dwell on them excessively to the point where they ruin the present.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words.
DeleteI find it interesting that such lyrics (translation in English - on the internet) come from a person that has accomplished so much in life, with his talent and personality.
In addition to his musical and acting skills, he was also a diplomat - appointed by Armenia as ambassador to Switzerland and the UN.
Me too. But I have so much to be thankful for now.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandi
DeleteIt's good to hear from you that you've got much to be thankful for.
May it always be like that for you and family!
I loved the post! I think you hit a nostalgic vein in all of us. And we do need to recognize Armenia and all the talent and creativity they represent. Of course, I think of a dancer who is from Armenian decent. Oh, and of course the food comes to mind too. Such a great post to start 2021!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ellie. I'm glad you like my post.
DeleteI know about the armenian delicious food, but I'm afraid I don't know the name of the dancer you're referring to.
Adam G. Sevani. Probably won't ever be a household name, but he really is quite an artist when it comes to hip hop and modern dance. He was an adorable adolescent actor who I fondly remember with Disney's Alyson Stoner (also a dancer and child actress) These are still two I have to google ever so often to see what they are up too. Obscure to many but I always thought I would definitely include them in my circle of friends...if I could.
DeleteThanks for the info, Ellie. Never heard of the name, but I trust your judgement.If you say he's a good dancer, than he is.
DeleteThank you so much for reading my storyblog and thank you for commenting. I hope you are having a good weekend and staying warm. Still in a bit of a deep freeze here, but it could be worse. Parts of January were mild here and then Friday a blizzard came. We are having more snow this year than last year. All the best to your writing!
DeleteYou're welcome.
DeleteAll the best to your writing too!
Thanks for sharing this inspiring story and song!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Christine.
DeleteConsidering my PC problems, I'm surprised and happy the Youtube video is playing.
I didn't know this about him. Thanks for sharing this. You always find interesting people and things to write about here.
ReplyDeleteWell, Inger, I try my best to find decent topics and people to write about in my little blog.
DeleteAs for Aznavour, the bottom line is that each one of his songs is a real, precious gem. The same would apply to his performances too.
I had not heard of this performer but enjoyed listening to this performance. I know some people do say they have no regrets in their lives. They are lucky ones. I have far too many :)
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
betty
He used to be called sometimes Frank Sinatra; perhaps something about the voice, but Sinatra was a singer, whereas Aznavour was also a composer and lyricist.
DeleteDo try, Betty, to listen to his other songs and view other performances of his - you'll surely enjoy it.
Happy 2021 to you and family!
I was so surprised when he died that he became so old with the hard life he had in his youth and then he was not an angel in his adult life ! Women, smoking, drugs, etc etc and he became 94 !! I think to us they say to live healthy to die earlier ?? I wonder. Kirk Douglas is 100 !! and still alive !
ReplyDeleteThe general idea is to live a healthy life, hoping that would lead to a long life.
DeleteHowever,the age at which one dies also depends on one's personal Luck, and especially on God's will.( I tend to pray to God for good health and everything that comes with it).
Aznavour and Douglas are lucky people.
Nice post Duta honoring the singer and his commitment to Armenia, and your personal connection with his songs.. ♡
ReplyDeleteGlad you like my post on Aznavour. Hopefully, you'll perhaps try to get acquainted with his songs and performances.
DeleteI have always admired and appreciated Aznavour's talents. His music is so beautiful and he knew how to present and interpret his words better than anyone. Hearing this to start my day is a gift.
ReplyDeleteA story for you -- in 2018, Rick and I were in Paris for only four days, staying in a hotel where the closest Metro stop was Les Invalides. As we were walking to the Metro one morning we saw a huge crowd on the grounds outside Les Invalides and went to see what was happening. It was Aznavour's funeral/memorial. Large screens were on the outside of the building and people watched in a very somber crowd as the actual event was taking place within an interior courtyard. I mentioned it in a blog post in 2018 and also did a couple of short videos that day (which I just watched again -- thanks for the reminder!). What a gem -- and what a life.
Thanks Jeannie for the story in Paris.
DeleteYou were witnessing the funeral/memorial, of physically a little man, but spiritually a .great man, a giant actually, in everything he did.
Lovely post Duta. He was a fabulous man with a unique and unforgettable voice. His rendering of "She" is so perfect; it's his signature in my book. RIP Charles.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Philip. He was indeed a man with a great personality and unique voice.
DeleteThe mere mention of his amazing song "She" gives me 'goosebumps'.
Admittedly, I did not know much about Charles Aznavour before reading this post, Duta. Thank you for expanding my knowledge of his background and talents and for the YouTube video.
ReplyDeleteWell, Aznavour is someone worth knowing about. His musical compositions enrich our life with wisdom, beauty, enjoyment.
DeleteI'm not at all familiar with this singer but agree with what you said here: "In real life, too many people claim they have no regrets about their past doings. Hard to believe them. I do have regrets."
ReplyDeleteIf we don't have regrets we've never lived. I've made so many stupid mistakes along the way. But what would we learn apart from them? And Lord yes, talk about wasting time and energy on things that matter not! This is a new year in which I aim to focus on the important things. Nothing like sorrow to teach the valuable lessons in life, is there?
Hi Debra, it's good to hear from you.
DeleteIn my case, to live is to make mistakes, learn from them, regret them.
I've made many mistakes, and I do have regrets about them. I've also learnt a lot of lessons from mistakes; lessons that helped me improve my life.
When you stated some people have No regrets, I think they are only fooling themselves. I have yet to meet someone without regrets. Peace and Hope
ReplyDeleteThere's even a famous song called 'No Regrets'. The original version is french with Edith Piaf (Non, je ne regrette rien), and the english version 'No Regrets' was made famous by the singer Shirley Bessy.
DeleteI haven't heard about something him before, very interesting!
ReplyDeleteI'm rather surprised, Natalia. You belong to a much younger generation, yet Poland is in Europe, and I suppose there's hardly someone on this continent who hasn't heard of Aznavour.
DeleteInteresting, yes. His life and music are certainly interesting.
i enjoy your frank posts and honesty.Who does not have regrets?!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda.
DeleteYes, it's hard to believe there are people in this world with no regrets.
'No regrets' might be good as a title of a song, but does not reflect reality.
'Hier Encore" is indeed a very interesting song, a favorite of many singers and audiences in the world.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know he was from Armenia I absolutely love his music and this song is one of my favourites as well. Fabulous
ReplyDeleteHe was born and died in Paris, France. His parents came from Armenia.He did a lot of good things for Armenia and this country is very proud of him.
DeleteHis music and lyrics are classic, unforgettable.
He was a great person and very talented. Thank you for sharing this story and video, Duta.
ReplyDeleteHe was, indeed. Physically he was a man of small stature, but spiritually he was a giant.
DeleteWow, his voice is powerful. I will be looking up those lyrics. One can only imagine what he sounded like when he was young and his voice was stronger and clearer. I always learn something new from your posts!
ReplyDeleteThe lyrics of his songs are truly worth looking into.
DeleteI feel very flattered by the last sentence of your comment, Alicia.
Thank you for this wonderful post.
ReplyDeleteEddie and I enjoy listening to Charles Aznavour.
All the best Jan
You're welcome.
DeleteI keep saying about Aznavour 'small in stature, but with a huge voice and great personality'.