From Aznavour to Yerevan with Love

“I want the youth to have the possibility of dreaming. The diaspora and Armenia must unite their efforts to make Armenian culture vibrant,” he said. There are so many outstanding Armenian musicians around the world, he said, including Georges Garvarentz and Michel Legrand, to name but two. It is time, he said, for Armenia to showcase these talents, “and not just chess.”

By crosspollination, the countries of both gain, he said.

“[The] arts play a great role in the history of Armenia,” Gregorian agreed.

Aznavour concurred, cautioning that “many great cultures have disappeared. It can happen to Armenia.”

Gregorian recalled his early life as a student in the US and how Aznavour mattered to him back then, too. “Whenever I felt depressed in college, I would listen to Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour. When you sang,” he said, turning to Aznavour, “I felt, ‘my God, I’m liberated. I felt ‘Life is yours and they are with you.’”

He rattled off Aznavour’s statistics. He has written more than 800 songs and recorded more than 1,200, in eight languages. He has sold more than 180 million records. And as Gregorian said, while apologizing to the two archbishops in the room, he is a “French pop deity.” In addition, he is Armenia’s permanent ambassador to Switzerland as well as its representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

Gregorian stressed that Armenians need to focus on building Armenia. “We have built the rest of the world, but not Armenia.” And those communities either die or the buildings and lands are confiscated. He rattled off examples of communities in Istanbul, Jerusalem, New Julfa, Georgia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Syria, communities where once Armenians were numerous and prosperous, but which are now a shadow of their former selves.

Rachel Onanian Nadjarian, who is helping with the project, explained that the museum is not yet open but that it is in the process of gathering the material. Already, she explained, Aznavour has recorded the story of his life so that visitors can listen to his lifestory in his voice as they tour the museum.

In addition, the museum offers space for French language, cinematography and editing classes as well as a recording studio.

Martin Muradyan is in charge of designing the cinematography section. He previously worked at Eurovision and cross-media visual and creative projects in Russia and UK.

She added that the museum is “beautiful,” adding that like “everything that surrounds Charles, it is nothing less than filled with happiness.”

Aznavour was in the US for the unveiling of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 24.

He added, “I am very proud to be Armenian and to be French too,” and noted, “a man who forgets his roots is not a man.”

Present for the luncheon were a host of representatives from the French and Dutch consulates as well as Armenian-American and French guests.

For information about the museum, visit www.aznavourfoundation.org.