CROONER AZNAVOUR TAPS CUBAN RHYTHMS

The West Australian, Australia
Oct 18 2006

At the age of 82, French crooner Charles Aznavour is still looking
for new ways to capture an audience and has turned to the hot rhythms
of Cuban music to convey his songs.

Aznavour teamed up with Latin jazz piano virtuoso Chucho Valdes to
record 11 songs, Aznavour said before heading home after eight days
in a Havana studio.

His new offerings include songs about environmental degradation and
last year’s race riots in France.

"To have Cuban music with such lyrics will draw us closer to the
public. It’s not a question of selling records but of conveying ideas
to people, not political but important human ideas," he said at a
news conference.

It is not Aznavour’s first encounter with Cuban musicians.

In 1999, he recorded the song Morir de amor (Dying of Love) with the
late Compay Segundo of Buena Vista Social Club fame.

"That was a marvelous experience. Between smiles, cigars and music
we managed a duet," said the blazer-clad singer.

Born in Paris of Armenian immigrants, the raspy-voiced Aznavour was
discovered by Edith Piaf in the 1940s.

His breakthrough in America was not on the stage but on the screen
in Francois Truffaut’s 1960 film, Shoot The Piano Player.

Ray Charles, Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby sang songs written by
Aznavour.

"Songs are a powerful weapon. Important statements disappear from
the newspaper the next day, but songs remain. They penetrate walls
and keep important ideas alive in the human spirit," he said.

Aznavour’s new record, scheduled for release by EMI early next year,
was recorded in Havana’s Abdala studio with Chucho Valdes and musicians
from his Iraquere band.