For a full hour and 40 minutes, the legendary Charles Aznavour didn’t even take a break for a sip of water as he performed a lively set for the thousands of fans who had come to Dubai from across the region for his UAE debut.
“I will sing in French, Italian, Spanish, English and Russian, so I hope you are sitting next to a translator,” said the 91-year-old, who smiled and winked at the crowd as he strolled onto the stage at Dubai World Trade Centre’s Sheikh Rashid Hall, dressed in a sleek black suit.
He sang hits including She, Yesterday When I Was Young, La Mamma, his own rendition of Ave Maria, and his signature song, La Bohème, during which he threw his white handkerchief to the fans, one of whom managed to grab it and waved it triumphantly. He also sang a duet with his daughter, Katia, who is a backup singer in his band. The song was Je Voyage, about an old man and a young girl who meet on the road.
“The old man travels through his memories, and the girl travels to the future,” said Aznavour.
His songs are known for their difficult vocal range – and at times he struggled to reach some of the particularly high notes.
However, in a time when much younger performers often rely on auto-tune or tapes and lip-synching, his performance was refreshingly live and real.
What he can no longer achieve in vocal range, he made up for through great energy, charm and a showmanship that belie his years.
He took off his blazer for the hipper, faster songs, revealing his red suspenders, saying “with your permission”, to the delight of the audience.
Also known as a man who doesn't shy away from controversy, Aznavour seemed to have sent a subtle political and humanitarian message on behalf of refugees, starting off with Les Émigrants and ending with Emmenez-Moi, both of which are songs about the struggle of immigrants and those who restart their lives somewhere else.
As the son of an Armenian family who fled to France, Aznavour has reflected on his childhood and his beginnings throughout his life. That sense of nostalgia for the “good old days”, and bidding farewell to youth, is a common theme in his work.
The upbeat, gypsy-like Les Deux Guitares perhaps received the greatest response from fans, as they clapped along.
Aznavour looked like he was about to fall at one point and staggered off the stage – but turned around and ran back on, dancing, tapping and shaking his hips, causing a frenzy among the audience.
“You know I am an old man,” he had said, just moments before. “I have been very sick, but I didn’t want to cancel. I am sorry – next time I will come back and dance for you.”
It was a full house, with dozens of fans showing up with bouquets of flowers for the man dubbed “France’s Frank Sinatra”. Security prevented them from handing them over during the performance, but they waited behind to do so afterwards.
After the last song, the fans continued to clap and whistle and call out to him, even after he had come out twice to bow and blow kisses.
They stood waiting, just in case this man, full of energy and magic in his 10th decade, might reappear to entertain them one more time.
rghazal@thenational.ae