Showing posts with label Armenia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Armenia. Show all posts

Sunday, January 3, 2021

The French - Armenian Trubadur


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.

                                statue of Aznavour in Yerevan, Armenia (Wikipedia)

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.

 

  Hier  Encore