Aznavour: those who don’t know Armenia have no idea what they missed out in life

 May 19, 2014 - 11:14 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Birthday parties are for 18-year-olds. I had no intention to celebrate my 90th birthday with pomp – I simply was free on the day and agreed to give a concert in Berlin, famed chansonnier Charles Aznavour said.

“Agewise, the only difference is the number of concerts I used to perform,” the artist said ahead of his 90th birthday.

On his birthday, May 22, the singer will perform a concert, The Legend Returns, at Berlin’s O2 World arena. The singer’s second concert is scheduled for May 24 in Frankfurt am Main. Aznavour will perform a concert in Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu on June 26. The chansonnier’s farewell concert will take place on June 1, 2014 in London.

“Several generations in France have been inspired by his songs. At 90, Aznavour continues performing, is writing 2 novels and a memoir,” France TV said. For the singer’s 90th jubilee, Universal released a 4-disc set complete with 90 unique compositions. Aznavour’s concert in Armenia was attended by French President Francois Hollande visiting the country at the time. “I returned to Paris to get some rest and recall the beautiful time I spent in Yerevan. Whoever doesn’t know Armenia has no idea what he missed out in life,” the singer posted on his website.

Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian better known by his stage name Charles Aznavour (born 22 May 1924) is a French-Armenian singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world. Aznavour is known for his unique tenor. He has appeared in more than sixty movies, composed about a thousand 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, Aznavour was named 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 impresario Levon Sayan.

In 2009, he was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations at Geneva. He started his new Aznavour en Toute Intimité tour in 2011.