Charles Aznavour and Armenia: Ils sont tombés, Pour toi Arménie and his Armenian roots

Aznavour is the most famous Armenian singer in the world, though nearly all his songs are in French. Here is how he was Armenian, the songs he wrote for Armenia, and which recordings to try first.

By The Armenly team. Written November 10, 2026.

Key findings

  • Charles Aznavour was born Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian in Paris on May 22, 1924. His father came from Akhaltsikhe, in Georgia, and his mother from Adapazarı, in Turkey [1].
  • "Ils sont tombés" ("They Fell"), released in 1976, is his song for the victims of the Armenian Genocide [1].
  • After the 1988 Spitak earthquake he recorded "Pour toi Arménie" with a large group of French singers to raise money. It was number one in France for 10 weeks in 1989 [1] [2].
  • He served Armenia as a diplomat: its ambassador to Switzerland from 2009 until his death on October 1, 2018, and its delegate to UNESCO [1].

His Armenian family

He was born in Paris on May 22, 1924, as Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian. His parents were Armenian immigrants: his father came from Akhaltsikhe in Georgia, and his mother from Adapazarı in the Ottoman Empire, now Turkey [1]. He became one of France's best-known singers and songwriters, with more than 1,200 songs recorded and more than 1,000 written or co-written [1].

He died at his home in Mouriès, in the south of France, on October 1, 2018, at 94 [1].

Ils sont tombés: his song for the Genocide

"Ils sont tombés" ("They Fell"), written in 1975 and released in 1976, remembers the Armenians killed in the Genocide of 1915 [1]. He sang it live at the Yerevan Opera in 1996, and he recorded it in English as "They Fell." The French cellist Camille Thomas has recorded it with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra.

Pour toi Arménie and the 1988 earthquake

The earthquake of December 7, 1988, around Spitak killed tens of thousands of people in northern Armenia. Aznavour wrote "Pour toi Arménie," and a group of French singers recorded it with him in February 1989 to raise money for the survivors. It was number one on the French singles chart for 10 weeks [1] [2].

He also founded the charity Aznavour for Armenia with Lévon Sayan to keep helping after the earthquake [1].

Ambassador of Armenia

He was Armenia's ambassador to Switzerland from 2009 until his death, its permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, and its ambassador and permanent delegate to UNESCO [1]. In Yerevan, he gave a large concert on September 30, 2006 [1].

Where to start with his French songs

Outside Armenia, he is known for the songs every French singer covers: "La bohème," about young artists in Montmartre, "Hier encore" ("Yesterday, When I Was Young" in English), and "Emmenez-moi." His English "She" is the most played love song in the Armenly catalog.

Where to listen

Questions people ask

Was Charles Aznavour Armenian?

Yes. He was born in Paris in 1924 as Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian, the son of Armenian immigrants, and later served Armenia as a diplomat.

What is Aznavour's song about the Armenian Genocide?

"Ils sont tombés" ("They Fell"), released in 1976. He also recorded it in English.

What is "Pour toi Arménie"?

A 1989 charity song by Aznavour, sung with a group of French artists to help survivors of the 1988 Spitak earthquake. It was number one in France for 10 weeks.

Was Charles Aznavour an ambassador of Armenia?

Yes. He was Armenia's ambassador to Switzerland from 2009 until his death in 2018, and its delegate to UNESCO.

Sources

Cite this page

The Armenly team, "Charles Aznavour and Armenia: Ils sont tombés, Pour toi Arménie and his Armenian roots." Armenly, November 10, 2026. https://armenly.com/guides/charles-aznavour

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