In the early morning of October 1, the famous French singer Charles Aznavour died at his home in the south of France at the age of 94.
Aznav was born in Paris on May 22, 1924, the son of a baritone singer and an actress mother, and both were Armenian refugees who had just fled the Genocide in the Ottoman Empire and settled in France. Raised by the artistic influence of her parents, Aznaver took the stage at the age of 9 and produced his debut album in 1950, which was appreciated by Edith Piaf, the queen of the praises, and was invited to perform with her in the United States and write songs for her. Since then, his career has lasted for more than 70 years, composing or collaborating with other musicians on more than 1,000 songs, recording more than 1,200 songs in 9 different languages, and selling 180 million records. His most popular masterpieces are "Je m'voyais déjà", "For me formidable" (You Are Too Good), "Hier encore", "La bohème" (Bohemian), "Emmenez-moi", etc., all of which are French chanson music classics that are widely sung around the world. This has made him one of the most admired French singers outside the French-speaking world to date, and has been hailed by international music critics as the last representative of French chanson music.
Aznaver (left) with Eddies Piav
When the news of Aznafer's death came out, France mourned from the music scene to the political world. His close friend, the 90-year-old singer Line Renaud, said: "Although he is getting older, I really did not expect him to leave suddenly, and his whole life has been challenging and full of vitality." He left behind great and immortal works and wrote the most beautiful love songs. MC Solaar, the most influential hip-hop artist in France, also admired Aznafer, even calling him "the boss of the rap world, a great rapper." Aznaver has defended much-maligned hip-hop in the media since the 1990s, while French hip-hop people are keen to cover his classic old songs. In an interview with RTL, Solar said: "His words are very precise, there is no unnecessary language and emotional expression, a bit like a surrealist painting. ”
Françoise Nyssen, France's Minister of Culture, tweeted: "France has lost Aznaul, one of our greatest poets, always at the forefront of history, a legend that transcends borders and times." French President Emmanuel Macron later praised Aznafer on Twitter: "He is an authentic Frenchman, and he cares about his Armenian roots from the bottom of his heart, and Charles Aznafer is respected by the whole world, and has accompanied three generations of growth with laughter and pain." His masterpieces, his timbre, his unparalleled brilliance will live on forever. The president lamented that he had invited Aznaphra to go to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, to sing at the Francophone summit, but unfortunately could not make the trip.
In his public eulogy, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian called Aznaphur "the son of the remarkable Armenian people" and called his death "a loss to the whole world." Pazinian is very grateful to Azhnavir for his support of Armenia's reconstruction through the earthquake through song, charity sales and other acts of kindness, he said, "It is difficult to believe that such a person who alone created an era, a history, who helped the people of his homeland in the 1980s and warmed the hearts of thousands of Armenians, has left us today." European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker also issued a statement on the same day, praising Aznafer for "inspiring an entire generation and creating a beautiful image of hospitality and cultural inclusion for France." Europe has lost one of our most beautiful singing voices today."
At a state banquet at the Palace of Versailles on September 12, Aznaver (right) sits next to Madame Macron.
As the king of French pop music for more than half a century, Aznaver insisted that the fundamental element that defines "French music" is text, not rhythm, and he once said in an interview: "The French did not create any rhythms. ...... Our strength is simply incorporating our melody into all existing rhythms. As for the lyrics, comparing the texts written on the same theme, no British or American person can compare with us. For example, to interpret "Yesterday", a song with extraordinary verses and music, it is indisputable that it can never be compared with Léo Ferré's Avec le temps. Aznav has been working to revolutionize the French way of expression in pop music. Jean Cocteau, a French writer, once said of him: "Before Aznefer, despair was unpopular, it was he who turned despair into a pleasant thing." A self-taught chanson poet, he was an avid lover of literature, a large collection of rare books, a willingness to quote hugo or Vivon's poems, and a keen lover of the book bag, but "his greatest charm is to create complex expressions, similar to Serge Gansbo, to separate from mainstream art that belongs to the minority", the film director (Hélène Hazera), who has worked with him many times, recalls, "Of his songs, what fascinates me most is his exquisite skill in fiddling with everyday language." ”
Aznaver's film career and singing began at the same time, he was a dazzling student on the screen in the 1950s and 1960s, although his status as a singer overshadowed the light of actors, he never forgot to make cameo roles in various films of interest, starring in more than 60 films. His 1960 performance in Truffaut's Tirer sur le pianiste has become a classic in New Wave cinema. Alain Deron, one of his best friends, choked up several times about his death: "The blow was too great, as if he had been crushed, and his grief was beyond words." He made it clear to AFP on the phone that he would not be interviewed by any media on the matter, "I love him, I know him when I first started, we almost started on the screen together... Only the fact that he died peacefully in his sleep could bring me the only comfort. ”
Aznaver's 1973 album As They Say