Month: settembre 2016

#CharlesAznavour

Charles Aznavour, nome d’arte di Chahnourh Varinag Aznavourian (armeno: Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան; Parigi, 22 maggio 1924), è un cantautore, attore e diplomatico francese di origine armena.

Noto con il soprannome di Charles Aznavoice, è anche detto il “Frank Sinatra d’Europa”. Insignito della Legion d’Onore per il lustro dato alla Francia, è ambasciatore dell’Armenia in Svizzera dal 12 febbraio 2009.

Aznavour canta in sette lingue e ha venduto oltre 300 milioni di dischi nel mondo.

Charles Aznavour (en arménien Շառլ Ազնաւուր), né Shahnourh Varinag Aznavourian (Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնաւուրեան) le 22 mai 1924 à Paris, est un auteur-compositeur-interprète, acteur, écrivain et diplomate français. Il obtient en décembre 2008 la nationalité arménienne, lors de sa nomination au poste d’ambassadeur d’Arménie.

Pendant ses soixante-dix ans de carrière, Charles Aznavour a écrit plus de huit cent chansons. Sur disque, il en a enregistré plus de mille deux cents, chantées dans huit langues différentes. Au total, le chanteur totalise aujourd’hui plus de 180 millions de disques vendus à travers le monde

Il réside à Saint-Sulpice (Canton de Vaud), en Suisse, où il est l’ambassadeur de l’Arménie et le représentant permanent de ce pays auprès de l’ONU (auparavant, il était depuis 1995 le représentant permanent de l’Arménie auprès de l’Unesco).

Charles Aznavour (French pronunciation: [ʃaʁl aznavuʁ]; born Shahnour Varinag Aznavourian on 22 May 1924) is a French and Armenian singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Aznavour is known for his unique tenor voice: clear and ringing in its upper reaches, with gravelly and profound low notes. He has written over 800 songs and recorded over 1,200, sung in eight languages and sold more than 180 million records.

He is one of France’s most popular and enduring singers. He has been dubbed France’s Frank Sinatra, while music critic Stephen Holden has described Aznavour as “French pop deity.” He is also arguably the most famous Armenian of his time.In 1998, Aznavour was named Entertainer of the Century by CNN and users of Time Online from around the globe. He was recognized as the century’s outstanding performer, with nearly 18% of the total vote, edging out Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan.

He 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. Aznavour is the longest standing “A list” star, still filling major venues all over the world. He started his most recent tour in 2014.

charl-aznavour-w

 

#CountBasie

“Count” Basie, nato William Allen Basie (Red Bank, 21 agosto 1904 – Hollywood, 26 aprile 1984), è stato un compositore, pianista, direttore d’orchestra e bandleader statunitense di musica jazz.

William James Basie (August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) professionally better known as Count Basie, was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. His mother taught him to play the piano and he started performing in his teens. Dropping out of school, he learned to operate lights for vaudeville and to improvise accompaniment for silent films at a local movie theater in his home town of Red Bank, New Jersey. By 16 years old, he increasingly played jazz piano at parties, resorts and other venues. In 1924, he went to Harlem, where his performing career expanded; he toured with groups to the major jazz cities of Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City. In 1929 he joined Bennie Moten’s band in Kansas City, and played with them until Moten’s death in 1935.

In 1935, Basie formed his own jazz orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. He led the group for almost 50 years, creating innovations like the use of two “split” tenor saxophones, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, and others. Many musicians came to prominence under his direction, including the tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, the guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry “Sweets” Edison and singers Jimmy Rushing and Joe Williams. Basie’s theme songs were “One O’Clock Jump”, developed in 1935 in the early days of his band, and later “April in Paris”.

William Basie, dit Count Basie, né le 21 août 1904 et mort le 26 avril 1984, est un pianiste, organiste et chef d’orchestre de jazz. Son orchestre s’inscrit dans la tradition de Kansas City, ville-berceau du middle jazz orchestral. Il était surnommé la machine à swing.

Son big band représente, avec celui de Duke Ellington, la quintessence du jazz classique dont il a porté la bonne parole pendant 50 ans dans le monde entier. Il a abordé tous les registres, du blues aux succès de Broadway en passant par les grands standards, toujours avec la même ferveur sincère.

Le Count Basie Orchestra aura été un tremplin pour nombre de musiciens majeurs de l’époque comme Lester Young, Herschel Evans, Buck Clayton, Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison, Dicky Wells, Buddy Tate.

count-basie-w