A total of 179 years will gather in one room at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem soon, when President Shimon Peres, 90, hosts one of the greatest singers in the history of France, 89-year-old Charles Aznavour, Ynetnews.com reports.
Peres became familiar with Aznavour’s music during his long stays in Paris as part of activities aimed at strengthening the strategic security relations between Israel and France.
Aznavour is arriving in Israel not just as a legendary singer, but also as Armenia’s ambassador to Switzerland and its permanent representative at the United Nations.
According to a statement issued by Aznavour’s office, his visit to the region will be dedicated to promoting the peace process and increasing public support for it. The singer was therefore officially invited for lunch at the President’s Residence, and accepted the invitation.
Aznavour was born in 1924 in Paris to parents who immigrated from Armenia, and began performing at the early age of nine. In his 80-year career, he sold more than 100 million albums around the world and recorded songs in six languages. He also had a impressive acting career, appearing in more than 60 films.
Some of Aznavour’s songs were translated into Hebrew over the years. In 2011 he was awarded the HebrewUniversity’s Scopus Award for his contribution to Israel.
