Charles Aznavour to record music video to raise funds for quake-stricken Haiti

PanARMENIAN.Net - Dozens of French rappers and pop stars are joining renowned singers Charles Aznavour and Youssou N'Dour to record a music video Friday to raise funds for quake-stricken Haiti.



"A Gesture for Dear Haiti" (Un geste pour Haiti cherie) will be widely distributed to French television stations, appealing to viewers to make a donation for quake relief.



Hip hop duo Neg'Marrons wrote the music and each of the 40 odd artists would contribute a line to the lyrics of the song that would be recorded in a Paris studio, said a spokesman for Trace TV music channel.



Slam poet Grand Corps Malade, rappers Passi and Stomy Bugsy were among the big names taking part along with 85-year-old Aznavour, who is French-Armenian, and N'Dour, of Senegalese origin.



Haitian-born stand-up comic Anthony Kavanagh, who lives in Canada, separately called on French artists to organise a fundraising telethon for Haiti, where tens of thousands are feared dead from Tuesday's quake.



"We have to do something. We have to send money. There is nothing left there, but abysmal misery," said Kavanagh.



Rapper Kery James, whose parents are of Haitian origin, will be giving a charity concert while leading French playwright Robert Hossein said all proceeds from a theatre performance next week will go toward medical relief, AFP reported.



Charles Aznavour (born May 22, 1924, Paris) is a French singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat of Armenian descent. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the most well-known singers in the world. He is known for his characteristic short figure and unique tenor voice; clear and ringing in its upper reaches, with gravely and profound low notes. He has appeared in more than 60 movies, composed about 1,000 songs (including at least 150 in English, 100 in Italian, 70 in Spanish, and 50 in German), and sold well over 100 million records.



In 1998, Charles Aznavour was chosen as 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 and impresario Levon Sayan.



Aznavour started his global farewell tour in late 2006, which continues through this day. In 2009 he was appointed as Ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations at Geneva.



The 2010 Haiti Earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake centered approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, striking at 16:53:09 local time (21:53:09 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 13 kilometres (8.1 mi). The United States Geological Survey recorded a series of aftershocks, fourteen of them between magnitudes 5.0 and 5.9. The International Red Cross estimated that about three million people were affected by the quake, and Haitian authorities believe that up to 200,000 could be dead, exceeding earlier Red Cross estimates of 45,000-50,000 people killed.



The earthquake caused major damage to Port-au-Prince. Most major landmarks were significantly damaged or destroyed, including the Presidential Palace (the President survived), the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail. Most hospitals were destroyed. The United Nations reported that the headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), located in the capital, had collapsed and that many UN personnel were unaccounted for. The Mission's Chief, Hédi Annabi, was confirmed dead on 13 January by President René Préval, although officially unaccounted for.