Hi everybody,
Yesterday, I took a black cab to go back to my apartment in Inwood (the northern upper part of the Island of Manhattan, for those of you who still have no clue where Inwood is...). And, while I was seating at the back of the cab, vaguely listening the background music, lost in my thoughts, the voice of Charles Aznavour and the melody of one of his famous song, "La Bohème", came to my ears (only difference, the song was in Spanish but it was Aznavour singing).
At first, I thought that I was mistaking the song for something else, so I asked my cab driver: "It sounds like Charles Aznavour! Is it a CD or is it the radio?" While driving, my spanish Dominican driver started to talk to me in SpanEnglish...and said: "Yeah! Charles Aznavour es un cantante, compositor y actor Francés de origen Armenio. In Dominican Republic, people le gusta mucho Aznavour."
I responded that I love Aznavour myself and that I've grown up with his music, and I never stopped listening to him. I also told him that just a few months ago, Wednesday April 29th 2009 (to be precise), my wife invited me for my 36 birthday, to go to his concert at NYCITY CENTER (West 55th street between 6th and 7th avenue, New York). It was great!!!
It was my first Charles Aznavour concert and I loved it! This guy is really incredible. Born in May (like me) 1924, he is 85 years old and still rocking! He is amazing and his voice sounds incredibly intact after all these years of singing, deep, harmonious and soothing. A real one man show complemented by accomplished, talented musicians made this concert a fantastic, enjoyable and memorable gift.
Memorable because it was a gift from my wife, but more especially because it was a part of his global farewell tour and probably his last concert in New York. You should have seen him, singing, dancing, joking, a touch nostalgic and melancholic, in perfectly good shape and ready for more. He sang more than 20 songs (roughly...I stopped counting...) in 2 hours, without really stopping or having a break (a few words here and there, but nothing much...).
For 2 hours, Charles Aznavour fulfilled the demand of his attentive and excited New York public, by singing one song after another from his 65 years(+) portfolio of songs. Classic songs like: "La Boheme", "Emmenez Moi", "Les Comédiens", "Mes Emmerdes", "Le Temps", "Les Deux Guitares", "Sur ma vie", "Je me voyais déjà", "Il faut savoir", "Reste", "Dans tes bras", "Hier encore","Ave Maria", "She" et bien d'autres. It was really a treat from this world-renown singer who sings (and speaks) in many languages (French, Armenian, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, and probably one or two more).
I would have loved for him to sing a song that my wife and I love: "Quand tu m'aimes", may be not one of his classic, but surely one of these truly well written love songs that only Charles Aznavour knows the recipe how to write it with so much intensity and emotion.
Chapeau! Monsieur Charles Aznavour for your wonderful performance on stage and for your dedicated life to write love songs and everyday ballads about life and people. Merci beaucoup! It was a unique and memorable experience to see you live, in concert, on stage with so much talent, vitality and youth in your voice and still in very good shape for one of the most appreciated, recognized and enduring elderly French singer. At 85 years old, it is beautiful. It was a pleasure to hear you sing.
A fan!
LeDom du Vin
Step into the green! Drink more Bio and Organic wines (and Food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! ... and listen more meaningful, well orchestrated and written Music and Songs.
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