****, didn't hear about that until now. R.I.P. to a fantastic vocalist, Made in Medina is one of the most nostalgic albums for me. Listened to a ton of that album as a kid.

Yeah, good tunes on that one!
"Barra Barra" and "Aie Aie Aie"

I did a quick post count since posting about Charles Aznavour:

Posts about musicians' deaths: 5
Synonyms for "ass hat" or comments on same: 10

From this we could probably deduce something profound about death and humour - or about how Charles Aznavour, at one time so popular, has failed to inspire later generations. Instead of following Nick Drake's Fruit Tree prediction, it sounds like CA's popularity chart is heading in the reverse direction. :(

Crap capper!

Same. Dude was pretty mediocre, like Frank Sinatra.

^ That's a good comparison, Zhanteimi. Both were interpreters more than composers, and in Britain both turned up regularly on the radio/tv in the 60s; I heard Aznavour much more than I ever listened to him.

Thinking about it, I like the idea of CA more than his music. I colour him with an affection left over from my aquaintance with the Armenian émigres I used to work with. I like that air they share: the fading glory of a pan-European chic from a disappearing and exotic past.

When I was a young Londoner I was taken on by a group of Armenian architects in my first professional office job, and they taught me the trade and even bits of their language. When the English receptionist walked through the office, they taught me to say Shut lav boochis! : What a beautiful bottom! I enjoyed hearing their reminiscences of a life they'd left behind in the Lebanon and how, for light relief, they once sent me into an office with a piece of paper to recite: Inch gliris marten es! I declared. To this day I have no idea what I was saying but everyone burst out laughing. Good times.

I've never heard of Charles Aznavour either. That doesn't excuse our cheeky behavior, butt I think we can all try to put this behind us for posteriors sake.

^ :laughing:

Thank you for up-dating the post count! Just to be clear, I'm not angry in the least - I was just posting a statistic that goes to show MB's inimitable style. What is surprising is that CA is so unknown in the USA, but I suppose if you've already got Frank Sinatra in the role of romantic crooner, you really don't need some foreign import to do the job as well.

I think he's famous in a way where a lot of people would have a faint familiarity with his music if they heard it but wouldn't be able to place who it is.

^ Yeah, that rings true! When I learned that he was dead, I searched Youtube for my favourite Aznavour song, but it turned out to be by Maurice Chevalier. :o: