Charles Aznavour's Book Entitled D'une Porte L'autre
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CHARLES AZNAVOUR’S BOOK ENTITLED D’UNE PORTE L’AUTRE (FROM ONE DOOR TO THE NEXT): HISTORICAL FACTS AND TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS (CHARLES AZNAVOUR’UN “BİR KAPIDAN ÖTEKİNE” BAŞLIKLI KİTABI: TARİHSEL GERÇEKLER VE TÜRK-ERMENİ İLİŞKİLERİ) Doğanay ERYILMAZ Research Assistant, Department of Caucasus Languages and Cultures Ankara University Abstract: In his book entitled D’Une Porte L’Autre, apart from information regarding his own life, French singer Charles Aznavour has also presented his thoughts concerning Turkish-Armenian relations. Despite lacking knowledge, Aznavour has not refrained from making detections on the issue, but this has caused the singer to make mistakes regarding his own history. In the book in which the emigration from Istanbul to Europe of the singer’s family, whose roots are based on Georgian Armenians, is also described, there are historical mistakes and lack of information. It could be seen that the singer identity of Aznavour, who states that he considers himself both French and Armenian, is used as propaganda to spread and to procure recognition of the Armenian allegations. Keywords: Charles Aznavour, Identity Crisis of the Diaspora Armenians, guided art, Armenians of Turkey, Turkish-Armenian relations, 1917-1922 Russian Civil War Öz: Fransız şarkıcı Charles Aznavour, D’Une Porte L’Autre adlı kitabında kendi yaşamı ile ilgili bilgilerin yanı sıra Türk-Ermeni ilişkileri bağlamındaki düşüncelerini de vermiştir. Aznavour, çok fazla bir bilgisi olmadığı halde konu ile ilgili tespitler yapmaktan kaçınmaz, ancak bu şarkıcıyı, kendi tarihi ile ilgili yanılgılara düşürür. Kökenleri Gürcistan Ermenilerine dayanan şarkıcının ailesinin İstanbul’dan Avrupa’ya geçişinin de anlatıldığı kitapta, tarihsel yanılgılar ve bilgi eksiklikleri vardır. Kendisini hem Fransız hem de Ermeni olarak gördüğünü beyan eden Aznavour’un sanatçı kimliğini Ermeni iddialarını yaymak ve kabul ettirmek için propaganda amacıyla kullanıldığı görülmektedir. Review of Armenian Studies 173 No. 24, 2011 Doğanay Eryılmaz Anahtar Kelimeler: Charles Aznavour, Diaspora Ermenilerinin kimlik sorunu, güdümlü sanat, Türkiye Ermenileri, Türk-Ermeni İlişkileri, 1917- 1922 Rus İç Savaşı. Introduction The purpose of this article is to put forth some historical facts regarding Turkish-Armenian relations and to determine in which direction French singer Charles Aznavour has contributed to it based on the information presented in his book entitled D’Une Porte l’Autre (From One Door to the Next). Within the framework of this purpose, we must first shortly mention the biography of Charles Aznavour. Then, information regarding the contents of the book that has become the subject of this article will be provided and the famous singer’s viewpoint towards events on the basis of Turkish-Armenian relations will be determined and in order to do this, D’Une Porte l’Autre will be compared to another book entitled Le Temps des Avants (2003) (The Past Tense Becomes) also written by Aznavour. Aznavour’s identity, information concerning past and present Turkish- Armenian relations and the historical facts underlining the events explained in his book will also exist among the issues to be addressed in this article. The Biography of Charles Aznavour: By utilizing Charles Aznavour’s autobiographies and his biographies existing in various sources, we will try to put together the significant turning points in the singer’s life in this section of our article: - 22 May 1924: Chahnour Varinag Aznavourian (Charles Aznavour) is born in Paris. His father from among Georgian Armenians is Misha Aznavourian and his mother from among Adapazarı Armenians is Knar Baghdassarian. - 1924: Father Misha Aznavourian opens a restaurant in Paris and the family decides on moving to this city. - 1933: Charles Aznavour appears on stage for the first time. - 1946: He meets the famous French singer Edith Piaf who had 174 Review of Armenian Studies No. 24, 2011 Charles Aznavour’s Book Entitled D’une Porte L’autre (From One Door to the Next): Historical Facts and Turkish-Armenian Relations discovered him and caused him to gain recognition. In the same year, he marries Micheline Rugel. - 1947: His first child Seda is born. - 1950-1955: He works as tunesmith for Gilbert Bécaud. - 1952: His second child Misha is born. - 1956: The positive reaction of the audience during a recital in Casablanca shows that Aznavour has been accepted as a star. His song “Sur Ma Vie/About My Life” written for his premier in Olympia is his first significant success. In the same year, he marries Evelyne Plessis and his third child Patrick is born. - 1959: Due to this role as Heurtevent in the movie Head against the Walls directed by Georges Franju, he receives the award for the best singer by the French Cinema Academy. - 1960’s: He writes many songs which becomes popular. The themes of these songs are generally about love and the rapid passing of time. - 1964: His “La Mamma” song becomes the first French song to receive an award in Japan. - 1968: He marries Swedish Ulla Thorsell in Las Vegas. - 1969: Aznavour is granted the Ruby Medal of the City of Paris. In the same year, his marriage to Ulla is solemnized in an Armenian church. His daughter Katia is also born in 1969. - 1971: He receives the Golden Lion Honorary Award at the Venice Film Festival for the Italian version of the soundtrack of the movie Mourir d'aimer (Dying of Love) directed by André Cayatte. - 1972: The smallest of his children Nicolas is born. - 1976: In commemoration of the so-called Armenian “genocide”, he writes the song “Ils sont tombés/They Fell”. - 1988: Following the earthquake of a magnitude of 6.9 in Armenia, he establishes the “Aznavour for Armenia” charity organization and sends aid in high amounts of money to Armenia. Review of Armenian Studies 175 No. 24, 2011 Doğanay Eryılmaz - 1989: The song “Pour toi L’Armenie/Armenia for you” performed by more than eighty singers to help Armenia reaches the top among the most preferred songs list in France. This situation symbolizes how successful Aznavour’s propaganda in supporting Armenia is. - 1995: He is appointed as Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Armenia to UNESCO.1 - 2001: In order to thank him for the aids given to Armenia, Aznavour’s name is given to one of the squares present in the center of Armenia. Moreover, a statue is built on his behalf in Gyumri. - 2002: He plays a role in Atom Egoyan’s movie Ararat which is about the so-called genocide. - 2003: His book Les Temps des Avants (The Past Tense Becomes) is published. - 2004: He receives the title of “national hero of Armenia” by Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.2 - 30 September 2006: He gives an open air concert in Yerevan.3 - 26 December 2008: Armenian President Serj Sarkisian grants Aznavour Armenian citizenship.4 - 2009: He accepts the Armenian President’s proposal of being appointed as Armenian Ambassador to Switzerland.5 In the same year, he is awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Montreal. - 2011: Aznavour’s book From One Door to the Next, which we are examining, is published. 1 Répertoire des Délégations permanentes auprès de l’UNESCO http://www.unesco.org/eri/permdel/ProtocolList_complete_p.asp?region=&language=F&contr= (Date of retrieval: 27.01.2012) 2 The Highest Title of the Republic of Armenia, Awards, National Hero of Armenia http://www.president.am/library/awards/eng/?award=1 (Date of retrieval: 27.01.2012) 3 Krikor Amirzayan, http://www.armenews.com/article.php3?id_article=47789 (Date of retrieval: 19.01.2012) 4 “President Serzh Sargsyan decrees to grant Armenian citizenship to Charles Aznavour and Levon Sayan” http://president.am/events/news/eng/?search=aznavour&pn=2&id=344 (Date of retrieval: 27.01.2012) 5 “Charles Aznavour, new Ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland” http://www.armenian.ch/index.php?id=embassy_pr&L=1 (Date of retrieval: 19.01.2012) 176 Review of Armenian Studies No. 24, 2011 Charles Aznavour’s Book Entitled D’une Porte L’autre (From One Door to the Next): Historical Facts and Turkish-Armenian Relations The Content of Charles Aznavour’s Book D’Une Porte L’Autre: Aznavur’s book entitled D’Une Porte L’Autre (From One Door to the Next) has been published in French by Don Quichotte publications in 2011. The volume of the book is 164 pages. Apart from providing information concerning his own life, the famous singer has also conveyed his thoughts, which requires explanation, regarding Turkish-Armenian relations. In this book, which is composed of nine sections including a “Preface”, “At the Doors of Information”, “On the Verge of Autumn”, “The Final Door”, “A Gateway as Large as Hope”, “I Needed a Megaphone”, “On the Verge of Power”, “On Aznavour explains that the Verge of Nature” and a “Conclusion”, he has written his Aznavour conveys his thoughts to the thoughts going from one readers without any particular order. issue to another and the reason for this is that In his book which is told by a first-person putting his thoughts in singular from the beginning to the end, it order refers to the course could be seen that Aznavour has not only of his life, but that his life explained his life as a singer, but has also is not comprised of a addressed many current issues. In the straight line. “preface” of his book, Aznavour explains that he has written his thoughts going from one issue to another and the reason for this is that putting his thoughts in order refers to the course of his life, but that his life is not comprised of a straight line. Moreover, Aznavour also expresses in this section that his goal is to explain his past.6 In the section entitled “At the Doors of Information”, Aznavour starts with explaining his views on education.