Aznavour has sung for presidents, popes and royalty, as well as at humanitarian events. In response to the 1988 Armenian earthquake, he founded 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. On 24 August 2017, Aznavour was awarded the 2,618th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On 17 September 2018, his last concert took place in NHK Hall, Tokyo.
Charles Aznavour died on 1 October 2018.
Charles Aznavour was perhaps the best-known French music hall entertainer in the world -- renowned the world over for the bittersweet love songs he has written and sung, which seem to embody the essence of French popular song, and also for his appearances on screen in such wildly divergent fare as Shoot the Piano Player, Candy, and The Tin Drum. His status as the quintessential French popular culture icon is something of an irony for a man who identifies himself most closely with his Armenian heritage. His father was a singer and sometime-restaurateur, while his mother was an actress and part-time seamstress. His father's singing, done in a notably impassioned style, heavily influenced Aznavour's approach to singing as a boy. Although he had a voracious appetite for music, he also had a serious impediment growing up, in the form of a paralyzed vocal cord that gave his voice a raspy quality. He channeled some of his energy into theater, making both his stage and screen debuts at age nine, in 1933, in the theater piece Un bon petit diable and in the film La guerre des gosses. As an adolescent, he danced in nightclubs and sold newspapers, as well as touring with theatrical companies, and he wrote a nightclub act in partnership with Pierre Roche -- Aznavour wrote the lyrics to their songs and it was through that material that he began his singing career. Early on, he learned to overcome his fears about his vocal limitations, in part with help from singing legend Édith Piaf, for whom he worked as a chauffeur, among other capacities; with her help, he developed a style that suited his capabilities and played to his strengths and also continued writing songs in earnest, some of which were performed by Piaf.
His success came very slowly, however. Aznavour at first found some difficulty being accepted as a composer in France or anywhere else. His compositions, although considered tame by any modern standard, were regarded as too risqué for French radio and were banned from the airwaves for a decade or more, from the late '40s through the end of the 1950s; American publishers seemed equally reticent about them, as he discovered on a visit to New York in 1948. That trip did yield his first performing engagement in the city, however, at the Cafe Society Downtown in Greenwich Village. For the next decade, Aznavour made his living as a performer in second-tier clubs and middle- or bottom-of-the-bill berths on three continents. His mix of daringly original and frank love songs, coupled with a limited but very expressive singing style, left audiences somewhat bewildered at first.
His breakthrough came in 1956, during a vaudeville engagement in Casablanca, where the audience reaction was so positive that Aznavour was moved to headliner status. After this, it became easier for the singer to find better engagements in France; by 1958 he even had a recording contract. He made his screen debut that same year in a dramatic role, playing an epileptic in George Franju's La tête contre les murs. He also composed music for Alex Joff's Du rififi chez les femmes in 1958; From there, he moved on to bigger roles in better movies, including Jean Cocteau's Testament of Orpheus and Francois Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player. The latter movie turned Aznavour into a screen star in France and opened the way for his breakthrough in America. He sang at Carnegie Hall in the early '60s and followed this up in 1965 with a one-man show, The World of Charles Aznavour, at the Ambassador Hotel in New York, which drew rave notices from audiences and critics alike. By that time, the once-struggling singer had secured his first American LP release with the similarly titled album The World of Charles Aznavour on Reprise Records, the label founded and run by Frank Sinatra.
Aznavour would be the last to compare himself with those whom he regards as truly gifted vocalists, such as Sinatra and Mel Tormé, preferring to think of himself as a composer who also happens to sing. His style of performing has been compared variously to Maurice Chevalier and Sinatra and has remained enduringly popular for four decades. Almost all of Aznavour's songs deal with love and its permutations, running the gamut from upbeat, joyous pieces such as Après l'amour and J'ai perdu la tête to the dark-hued J'en déduis que je t'aime and Bon anniversaire. A teetotaler and a racing car enthusiast, Aznavour has been married three times and has four children.
Quién
Charles Aznavour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y como el olvido, ya te habrá vencido
Le dirás querido al igual que a mí ?
Quién borrará mis huellas y encendiendo estrellas
En la oscuridad, abrirá balcones
Romperá crespones y pondrá canciones en tu soledad ?
Quién será mi revelo, quién te va a convencer ?
Quién cuando ya me ausente, va a cruzar el puente
Que mande a cerrar y pondrá colores
En tus sinsabores y te hará olvidar pronto mi pesar ?
Yo tengo el doble de tu edad, más no me importa sucumbir
A ver de cara la verdad del porvenir
No vistas luto por mi amor pues no me gusta ser cruel
Y sé que nunca ese color le fue a tu piel.
Quién cuando yo me vaya, llegará a tu playa un anochecer
Y pondrá su empeño en velarte el sueño
Y lo harás tu dueño casi sin querer ?
Quién besará tu pelo y en tu negro duelo
Te pondrá un clavel, ya diferente te verá la gente
Nueva y sonriente, como un cascabel ?
Quién viene a suplicarme, quién dime dulce bien ?
Quién trata de borrarme, quién amor en tu sien ?
Quién por sustituirte y por destruirme sin contemplación
Romperá en pedazos todos nuestros lazos
Y sin compasión, mi propio corazón ?
The song "Quien" by Charles Aznavour is a contemplation of love and loss. The singer muses about what will happen to his lover once he is no longer there to be with her. The opening lines ask who will silently come to her when she can no longer breathe, suggesting that she will one day face death or illness. The singer wonders if she will find a new love or if she will remember him fondly.
As the song continues, the questions become more poignant. Who will replace him in her heart? Will he be forgotten or will his lover keep him alive in her memory? The final verse is the most heart-wrenching, as the singer asks who will destroy him in order to take his place in his lover's heart. This suggests that the singer believes that one day, someone else will come along who will be able to capture his lover's heart, and that this prospect is both painful and inevitable.
Overall, "Quien" is a powerful meditation on the fleeting nature of love and the inevitability of change. The singer knows that he will not live forever, and he wonders what will happen to his lover once he is gone. The song is melancholic but at the same time, there is a sense of quiet resignation that underscores the singer's reflections.
Line by Line Meaning
Quién, cuando ya no aliente, silenciosamente, llegará hasta ti
Who, when I am no longer alive, quietly, will come to you
Y como el olvido, ya te habrá vencido
And like forgetfulness, will have already defeated you
Le dirás querido al igual que a mí ?
Will you call them dear, like you did with me?
Quién borrará mis huellas y encendiendo estrellas
Who will erase my footsteps and, lighting stars
En la oscuridad, abrirá balcones
In the darkness, will open balconies
Romperá crespones y pondrá canciones en tu soledad ?
Will they break the mourning ribbons and put songs in your solitude?
Quién será mi revelo, quién te va a convencer ?
Who will be my successor, who will convince you?
Quién volverá de nuevo a reinar en tu ser ?
Who will come back to reign in your being?
Quién cuando ya me ausente, va a cruzar el puente
Who, when I'm gone, will cross the bridge
Que mande a cerrar y pondrá colores
That will have closed and put colors
En tus sinsabores y te hará olvidar pronto mi pesar ?
In your sadness and will make you forget my sorrow soon?
Yo tengo el doble de tu edad, más no me importa sucumbir
I am twice your age, but it does not matter if I die
A ver de cara la verdad del porvenir
To face the truth of the future
No vistas luto por mi amor pues no me gusta ser cruel
Don't wear mourning for my love because I don't like to be cruel
Y sé que nunca ese color le fue a tu piel.
And I know that color never suited your skin.
Quién cuando yo me vaya, llegará a tu playa un anochecer
Who, when I'm gone, will arrive at your beach at nightfall
Y pondrá su empeño en velarte el sueño
And will make an effort to watch over your dreams
Y lo harás tu dueño casi sin querer ?
And you will make it yours almost without realizing it?
Quién besará tu pelo y en tu negro duelo
Who will kiss your hair and in your black grief
Te pondrá un clavel, ya diferente te verá la gente
Will put a carnation on you, people will see you differently
Nueva y sonriente, como un cascabel ?
New and smiling, like a jingle bell?
Quién viene a suplicarme, quién dime dulce bien ?
Who comes to beg me, who tells me sweetie?
Quién trata de borrarme, quién amor en tu sien ?
Who tries to erase me, who darling in your temple?
Quién por sustituirte y por destruirme sin contemplación
Who, to replace you and to destroy me without contemplation
Romperá en pedazos todos nuestros lazos
Will break all our ties into pieces
Y sin compasión, mi propio corazón ?
And without compassion, my own heart?
Contributed by Grace C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
argelys
Quien?
Cuando ya no aliente
Silenciosamente, llegara hasta ti
Y como el olvido
Ya te habra vencido
Le diras querido
Al igual que a mi
Quien?
Borrara mis huellas
Y encendiendo estrellas en la oscuridad
Abrirá balcones
Romperá crespones
Y pondrá canciones en tu soledad
Quien sera mi relevo
Quien te va a convencer
Quien volvera de nuevo
A reinar en tu ser
Quien,
Cuando yo me ausente
Va a cruzar el puente
Que manda cerrar
Y pondra colores
En tu sin sabores
Y te hara olvidar
Pronto mi pesar
Yo tengo el doble de tu edad
Mas no me importa sucumbir
Al ver de cara a la verdad del porvenir
No vistas luto por mi amor
Pues no me gusta ser cruel
Y se q nunca ese color le fue a tu piel
Quien
Cuando yo me vaya
Llegara a tu playa
Un anochecer
Y pondra su empeño
En velarte el sueño
Y lo haras tu dueño casi sin querer
Quien
Besara tu pelo
Y en tu negro duelo te pondra un clavel
Y ya diferente te vera la gente
Nueva y sonriente
Como un cascabel
Quien
Viene a suplicarme
Quien dime dulce bien
Quien trata de borrarme
Quien amor en tu sien
Quien
Por sustituirme
Y por destruirme
Sin contemplacion
Rompera en pedazos
Todos nuestros lazos
Y sin compasion
Mi propio corazon
Dachero
LETRA
Quién, cuando ya no aliente
silenciosamente, llegará hasta ti
y como el olvido
ya te habrá vencido
le dirás querido
al igual que a mí
Quién borrará mis huellas
y encendiendo estrellas
en la oscuridad
abrirá balcones
romperá crespones
y pondrá canciones
en tu soledad
Quién será mi revelo
quién te va a convencer
quién volverá de nuevo
a reinar en tu ser
Quién cuando ya me ausente
va a cruzar el puente
que mande a cerrar
y pondrá colores
en tus sinsabores
y te hará olvidar
pronto mi pesar
Yo tengo el doble de tu edad
más no me importa sucumbir
a ver de cara la verdad
del porvenir
No vistas luto por mi amor
pues no me gusta ser cruel
y sé que nunca ese color
le fue a tu piel
Quién cuando yo me vaya
Llegará a tu playa un anochecer
y pondrá su empeño
en velarte el sueño
y lo harás tu dueño
casi sin querer
Quién besará tu pelo
y en tu negro duelo
te pondrá un clavel
y ya diferente te verá la gente
nueva y sonriente
como un cascabel
Quién viene a suplicarme
Quién dime dulce bien
Quién trata de borrarme
Quién amor en tu sien
Quién por sustituirte
y por destruirme sin contemplación
romperá en pedazos
todos nuestros lazos
y sin compasión
mi propio corazón
sara giordano
Esta cancion nos llega al alma a las personas que gustamos de personas mayores y sabemos que el cuento de hadas podría tener un final bien triste.
Miguel Perez
Charles aznavour un artista francés con una voz inquebrantable un saludo para todos los Románticos 🖐🏾😀💙🇩🇴
Optica Orion
Su música pasarán los tiempos, y su música seguirá trascendiendo a las nuevas generaciones. Toda su música es hermosa. Adiós querido Charles Aznavour.
Luis Espin
Letras, interpretación y estilos únicos, arreglos muy finos y elegantes.
Único.
julian
espero que suban los grandes exitos de charles aznavour
Nohelia Sánchez
Amo esta canción, mi esposo y yo nos llevamos con 19 años, él me la dedicó, y fue allí cuando la escuché por primera vez, desde entonces se ha vuelto una de mis favoritas, tengo casi 25 años pero amo las baladas del recuerdo, creo que nací en el tiempo equivocado jaja... Siento mucha admiración por Charles Aznavour, que voz Dios mío! Fue un excelente intérprete, no sé quien escribió esta letra, pero sin duda es un tremendo poeta, describe exactamente lo que un hombre enamorado siente al momento de pensar que podría pasar si algún día el parte antes que su esposa por cuestión de edades 😭 lloré con esta linda canción, porque si algún día llega a pasar eso, no quisiera que mi esposo tenga un relevo... Que Dios nos permita estar el triple o cuádruple de los años que ya llevamos juntos ❤️ Bravo 👏🏻 para este maestro de la canción 👌🏻
julio galvez
La escribió Charles. Era cantautor. Cantó muy pocas canciones que no eran de él.
Isabel Vidal
Que lindo que te guste y admires a Charles Aznavour,él ha traspasado generaciones con su música.
Juanpablo Olarte torres
No de esta perdiendo de nada, la música de hoy día es basura
Jorge Efstathapulos
Dios te de muchos años más junto a él, sólo un paso adelante. La muerte no existe