“Humor plays an important role in my life because it enables me to face even the most difficult of situations,” legendary singer Charles Aznavour told the aforementioned in an interview with The National.
According to the newspaper, in his youth, Charles Aznavour was dismissed for being too unattractive (he often jokes about his nose), as well as for his unusually raspy and hoarse voice.
Nevertheless, the Armenian singer proved his critics was wrong: He built a successful career encompassing nine decades.
“They said I shouldn’t sing, but nevertheless I continued to sing until my throat was sore,” Aznavour says. “His tenacity paid off – and then some. Now 91, he has appeared in more than 60 films, written more than 1,200 songs, sung in eight languages and sold more than 180 million records. His style revolutionised the classic French chanson style, creating his own “Aznavourian” genre: a mix of French soul music, blues, jazz, ballads, pop music and lyrical poetry,” the newspaper writes.
According to The National, now he has eventually planned to make his UAE debut at a concert at Dubai World Trade Centre on Friday.
To the question what keeps him going after all these years, Aznavour said: ““My love for life. I am very lucky to have found my vocation and met interesting people who have fuelled and nourished my curiosity. I was able to lead this life because I was born and raised in an artistic family with few means but rich with love and support.”
“Last month, he topped People With Money magazine’s list of the highest-paid singers of 2015, with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings. He is often described as “France’s Frank Sinatra”. He teamed up with the American legend in 1993 for a duet on You Make Me Feel So Young. Just a tiny sample of this prolific artist’s French hits include: La Bohème(1965), his signature song; his first hit Sur Ma Vie (1956); Tu t’laisses aller(1960); Il faut savoir (1961); Les comédiens (1962); La mamma (1963); Et pourtant (1963); Hier encore (1964); For Me Formidable (1964); Que c’est triste Venise (1964); Emmenez-moi (1967) and et Désormais (1969),” the newspaper writes.
Famous for his powerful stage charisma, Aznavour says the sense of humor has proved important for him through many years.
“I have had a beautiful life, for a son of an immigrant,” he says. “I’m grateful for what life has given me. Even though I had to work very hard in my career, working makes me happy. The memories of my family and my childhood are my favourite ones,” Aznavour said in an interview.
Charles Aznavour (Shahnour Vaghinak Aznavourian) was born in Paris on May 22, 1924, to a family of artists, who fled the Armenian Genocide. The family, including elder sister Aida, planned to travel to the United States but they never got a visa.