Special evening: an exclusive collection and an environment full of French breath. Newmag celebrated Charles Aznavour's 100th birthday (photos)

Aznavour's spirit, poetry, and melody spread to O2 Gardens, where representatives of various fields gathered. They were united by their love for Aznavour and his legacy.

At the anniversary evening, Newmag presented "Aznavour: A Collection of Works". This is the result of five years. From 2019 Newmag has published 10 books by Aznavour, presenting the prose and poetry of his literary heritage in Armenian.

According to Artak Aleksanyan, the CEO of the publishing house, the collection is a tribute to Aznavour's dedication to the Armenian people and Armenia.

"Why did we decide to translate Aznavour, because we all loved Aznavour, because he helped the victims of the Spitak earthquake in 1988, he was the first, thanks to which the world began to get to know Armenia closely. He was the first to create a world hit about Armenia, "For you, Armenia". This song became a record holder with its views and popularity.

I would like to thank Samvel Gasparyan, who perfectly Armenianized Aznavour's works. Our goal was to present him as a poet, as an actor. And the first reactions were positive, and we continued the project and are concluding it today." 

After Charles Aznavour's death, Newmag promised to translate and publish his entire literary heritage. Songs, poetry, autobiographies, and short stories. For the Jubilee two volumes were prepared, separately combining the poetry and prose. Samvel Gasparyan is the translator of the main works. In the last two years alone, he has translated 500 poems.

"To translate Aznavour accurately, one must have an intimate understanding of him. He famously remarked that there are four Aznavours: the one people perceive him to be, the one he perceives himself to be, the one he aspires to be, and the one he truly is."

The collection of poetry summarizes four volumes: "New Country", "Love and War", "For You, Armenia", and "I'm Not Leaving...", which were published in separate books. Some of these works brought him success, some made a big noise, and some forced him to improve his own style and enter the literary world.

The complete prose works of Charles Aznavour include 5 of his autobiographical works and a collection of short stories published by Newmag (2019-2023). During the anniversary evening, Gnel Nalbandian, the editor-in-chief of the publishing house, emphasizes the exclusivity and originality of this project.

"The Newmag publishing house, along with Artak Aleksanyan, has undertaken extensive efforts akin to those of the Ministry of Culture over the past six years. Charles Aznavour has bestowed upon us an immense legacy. Often, I find myself questioning whether we can reciprocate to Charles, with our love, memories, and works, everything he bestowed upon the Armenian people. Or will planet Earth be able to repay Charles for his contributions to world culture? This is our attempt to honor his legacy.

As for repaying our debt to him, I believe we have not yet completed that task. We have accomplished the initial stage of translating and publishing his works, but there are still his interviews and other intriguing projects dedicated to him that await publication."  

During the 5-year project, not only the literary works were translated, but also 6 songs were Armenianized. During the implementation of all initiatives, Newmag is supported by Amundi-Acba Asset Management. According to Zarine Yeghiazaryan, responsible for marketing communications of the company, this year marks a decade of activity, of which exactly five years were spent with Newmag.

"Amundi-Acba decided to support Newmag to implement this wonderful project for a very simple reason. Indeed, our mission is to manage the pension funds of a large mass of society, but we also have a social responsibility, the core of which is education and culture. As a French-Armenian company, and considering ourselves 100% Armenian and 100% French, we consider ourselves more than responsible for Armenianizing Charles Aznavour's cultural heritage.

Today, we simply wish to express our gratitude to all involved parties, particularly to the translator Samvel Gasparyan, who has not merely translated but created individual works. We extend our appreciation to Hasmik Arakelyan, who approached this project with dedication beyond mere work, to the singers who breathed new life into Aznavour's songs in the Armenian language, and, of course, to the entire staff of Newmag. Special thanks go to Artak Alexyanyan, who has not only been a reliable partner but also a person of great character dedicated to a noble cause. Thanks to his efforts, Aznavour's legacy has been kept alive for six years."

The main sponsor of the anniversary evening is "PROFAL GROUP". During his speech, General Director Edgar Avetisyan emphasized the importance of cooperation with the publishing house and their contribution to Aznavour's 100th anniversary event.

"As fans of Charles Aznavour's poetry and songs, we are delighted to welcome you to O2 Gardens for the presentation of the book dedicated to the great Armenian's centenary. Charles Aznavour epitomized exceptional, vibrant talent. As an Armenian, he serves as the epitome of greatness, steadfastly supporting the Armenian nation and homeland throughout his life. He is the individual through whom Armenia gained recognition in numerous countries."

"Aznavour: A Collection of Works" is already on sale with a limited edition.