Charles Aznavour turns 90 on May 22. On that day he will give a concert in Berlin.
“I do not celebrate my birthday, I give a concert,” Charles Aznavour said in an interview with the Bild am Sonntag.
Asked whether he expects any presents, Aznavour said: “[German President] Mr. Gauck has already made a gift. His attitude during a visit to Turkey on democracy, human rights and the genocide of the Armenians was very clear. This is a great gift! I can not thank the President personally, therefore I want to do it now.”
Speaking about the secret of his youth at the age of 89, Aznavour said: “I pay attention to me. I have a very light dinner – a yogurt, a banana or nothing at all. What you eat in the evening, keeps you from sleeping. For lunch, I eat plenty and I have breakfast normally. That’s why I do not look an old man at the age of 89. Separate bedrooms are also an issue. Why? Because I read at night and my wife said: ‘Turn off the light.’ So we have different rooms. My wife said, ‘What will people say?’ I replied: ‘They do not sleep with us’.”
At the age of 89, Aznavour buys everything new: “It is an extraordinary era for curious people like me. I love gadgets, cameras, kitchen appliances, there are so many new features. I think that’s great. I buy everything that is new. For example I have eight computers. I keep photos on one computer, and music on another one, and I write on a third. I mix nothing.”
Charles Aznavour says he gets angry, when he hears bad lyrics. “Horrible. I get particularly angry in front of the TV set, when presenters speak French wrong. French language is wonderful – it is not even my native language, but I wanted to learn it and be good at it.” The singer continues to learn even today. He often goes to a Chinese restaurant and asks people there to teach him a word or a sentence. “This prolongs life,” he said.
Charles Aznavour is expected to give 30 concerts this year. “Being on the stage just gives you wings,” he says.
