Bohemia (; ; ; ; ) is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague.

Bohemia has an area of 52,065 km² and today is home to approximately 6 million of the Czech Republic's 10.3 million inhabitants. It is bordered by Germany to the southwest, west, and northwest, Poland to the northeast, the Czech historical region of Moravia to the east, and Austria to the south. Bohemia's borders are marked with mountain ranges such as the Bohemian Forest, the Ore Mountains, and the Krkonoše (Giant Mountains), the highest within the Sudeten mountain range.

Etymology

In the 2nd century BC, the Romans were competing for dominance in northern Italy, with various peoples including the Boii. The Romans defeated the Boii at the Battle of Placentia (194 BC) and the Battle of Mutina (193 BCE). After this, many of the Boii retreated north across the Alps.

Roman authors refer to the area they invaded as Boihaemum, the earliest mention (written at the end of the 1st century AD). The name appears to include the tribal name ''Boi-'' plus the Germanic element *''xaim-'' "home" (whence Gothic ''haims'', German ''Heim'', English ''home''). This Boihaemum included parts of southern Bohemia as well as parts of Bavaria (whose name also seems to derive from the tribal name Boii) and Austria.

History

Ancient Bohemia

In the late 2nd century BC, many of the Boii tribe, after defeat at Roman hands, fled north across the Alps from northern Italy into an area called Boihaemum by the Romans, which included the southern part of present-day Bohemia.

The western half was conquered and settled from the 1st century BC by Germanic (probably Suebic) peoples including the Marcomanni; the elite of some Boii then migrated west to modern Switzerland and southeastern Gaul. Those Boii that remained in the eastern part were eventually absorbed by the Marcomanni. Part of the Marcomanni, renamed the Bavarians (Baiuvarii), later migrated to the southwest. Although the leading tribes changed, there was a large degree of continuity in the actual population, and at no time was there a wholesale depopulation or change in ethnic stock.

After the Bavarian emigration, Bohemia was partially repopulated around the 6th century, as part of the territory often crossed during the Migration Period by Germanic and major Slavic tribes, precursors of today's Czechs, though the exact amount of Slavic immigration is a subject of debate. The Slavic influx was divided into two or three waves. The first wave came from the southeast and east, when the Germanic Lombards left Bohemia (c. 568 CE). Later immigrants came from the Black Sea region, as shown by Iranian place names as "Dudleb" (today in Prachens region, South Bohemia) and "Charvat" (Choroathos). Soon after, from the 630s to 660s, the territory was taken by Samo's tribal confederation. His death marked the end of the old "Slavonic" confederation, the second attempt to establish such a Slavonic union after Carantania in Carinthia.

Other sources (''Descriptio civitatum et regionum ad septentrionalem plagam Danubii'', Bavaria, 800-850) divide the population of Bohemia at this time into the Merehani, Marharaii, Beheimare (Bohemani) and Fraganeo. (The suffix ''-ani'' or ''-ni'' means "people of-"). The great tribes of ''Dudleb'', ''Lemuz'' and ''Charvat'' are missing from this list, which shows a linguistic and cultural shift from Sarmatian in favor of Slavonic dialects, a common occurrence in nomadic immigrations. Christianity first appeared in the early 9th century, but became dominant much later, in the 10th or 11th century.

The 9th century was crucial for the future of Bohemia. The manorial system sharply declined, as it did in Bavaria. The influence of the central ''Fraganeo-Czechs'' grew, as a result of the important cultic centre in their territory. They were Slavic-speaking and thus contributed to the transformation of diverse neighbouring populations into a new nation named and led by them with a united ''slavic'' ethnic consciousness.

Přemysl dynasty

Initially, Bohemia was a part of Greater Moravia. The latter, which had been weakened by years of internal conflict and constant warfare, ultimately succumbed and fragmented due to the continual incursions of the invading nomadic Magyars. However, Bohemia's initial incorporation into the Moravian Empire resulted in the extensive Christianization of the population. A native monarchy arose to the throne, and Bohemia came under the rule of the Přemyslid dynasty, which would rule the Czech lands for the next several hundred years.

The Přemyslids secured their frontiers from the remnant Asian interlocurs, after the collapse of the Moravian state, by entering into a state of semi-vassalage to the Frankish rulers. This alliance was facilitated by Bohemia's conversion to Christianity, in the 9th century. Continuing close relations were developed with the East Frankish kingdom, which devolved from the Carolingian Empire, into East Francia, eventually becoming the Holy Roman Empire.

After a decisive victory of the Holy Roman Empire and Bohemia over invading Magyars in the 955 Battle of Lechfeld, Boleslaus I of Bohemia was granted the March of Moravia by German emperor Otto the Great. Bohemia would remain a largely autonomous state under the Holy Roman Empire for several decades. The jurisdiction of the Holy Roman Empire was definitively reasserted when Jaromír of Bohemia was granted fief of the Kingdom of Bohemia by Emperor King Henry II of the Holy Roman Empire, with the promise that he hold it as a vassal once he re-occupied Prague with a German army in 1004, ending the rule of Boleslaw I of Poland.

The first to use the title of "King of Bohemia" were the Přemyslid dukes Vratislav II (1085) and Vladislav II (1158), but their heirs would return to the title of duke. The title of king became hereditary under Ottokar I (1198). His grandson Ottokar II (king from 1253–1278) conquered a short-lived empire which contained modern Austria and Slovenia. The mid-13th century saw the beginning of substantial German immigration as the court sought to replace losses from the brief Mongol invasion of Europe in 1241. Germans settled primarily along the northern, western, and southern borders of Bohemia, although many lived in towns throughout the kingdom.

Luxembourg dynasty

The House of Luxembourg accepted the invitation to the Bohemian throne with the crowning of John I of Bohemia in 1310. His son, Charles IV became King of Bohemia in 1346. He founded Charles University in Prague, central Europe's first university, two years later. His reign brought Bohemia to its peak both politically and in total area, resulting in his being the first King of Bohemia to also be elected as Holy Roman Emperor. Under his rule the Bohemian crown controlled such diverse lands as Moravia, Silesia, Upper Lusatia and Lower Lusatia, Brandenburg, an area around Nuremberg called New Bohemia, Luxembourg, and several small towns scattered around Germany.

Hussite Bohemia

During the ecumenical Council of Constance in 1415, Jan Hus, the rector of Charles University and a prominent reformer and religious thinker, was sentenced to be burnt at the stake as a heretic. The verdict was passed despite the fact that Hus was granted formal protection by Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg prior to the journey. Hus was invited to attend the council to defend himself and the Czech positions in the religious court, but with the emperor's approval, he was executed on July 6, 1415. The execution of Hus, as well as five consecutive papal crusades against followers of Hus, forced the Bohemians to defend themselves. Their defense and rebellion against Roman Catholics became known as the Hussite Wars.

The uprising against imperial forces was led by a former mercenary, Jan Žižka of Trocnov. As the leader of the Hussite armies, he used innovative tactics and weapons, such as ***howitzers, pistols, and fortified wagons****, which were revolutionary for the time, and established Žižka as a great general who never lost a battle.

After Žižka's death, Prokop the Great took over the command for the army, and under his lead the Hussites were victorious for another ten years, to the sheer terror of Europe. The Hussite cause gradually splintered into two main factions, the moderate Utraquists and the more fanatic Taborites. The Utraquists began to lay the groundwork for an agreement with the Catholic Church and found the more radical views of the Taborites distasteful. Additionally, with general war weariness and yearning for order, the Utraquists were able to eventually defeat the Taborites in the Battle of Lipany in 1434. Sigismund said after the battle that "only the Bohemians could defeat the Bohemians."

Despite an apparent victory for the Catholics, the Bohemian Utraquists were still strong enough to negotiate freedom of religion in 1436. This happened in the so-called Basel Compacts, declaring peace and freedom between Catholics and Utraquists. It would only last for a short period of time, as Pope Pius II declared the Basel Compacts to be invalid in 1462.

In 1458, George of Podebrady was elected to ascend to the Bohemian throne. He is remembered for his attempt to set up a pan-European "Christian League", which would form all the states of Europe into a community based on religion. In the process of negotiating, he appointed Leo of Rozmital to tour the European courts and to conduct the talks. However, the negotiations were not completed, because George's position was substantially damaged over time by his deteriorating relationship with the Pope.

Habsburg Monarchy

After the death of King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia in the Battle of Mohács in 1526, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria became King of Bohemia and the country became a constituent state of the Habsburg Monarchy.

Bohemia enjoyed religious freedom between 1436 and 1620, and became one of the most liberal countries of the Christian world during that period. In 1609, Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II who made Prague again the capital of the Empire at the time, himself a Roman Catholic, was moved by the Bohemian nobility to publish ''Maiestas Rudolphina'', which confirmed the older ''Confessio Bohemica'' of 1575.

After Emperor Ferdinand II began oppressing the rights of Protestants in Bohemia, the resulting Bohemian Revolt led to outbreak of the Thirty Years' War in 1618. Elector Frederick V of the Palatinate, a Protestant, was elected by the Bohemian nobility to replace Ferdinand on the Bohemian throne, and was known as the Winter King. Frederick's wife, the popular Elizabeth Stuart and subsequently Elizabeth of Bohemia, known as the Winter Queen or Queen of Hearts, was the daughter of King James I of England. However, after Frederick's defeat in the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, 27 Bohemian estates leaders together with Jan Jesenius, rector of the Charles University of Prague were executed on the Prague's Old Town Square on 21 June 1621 and the rest were exiled from the country; their lands were then given to Catholic loyalists (mostly of Bavarian and Saxon origin), this ended the pro-reformation movement in Bohemia and also ended the role of Prague as ruling city of the Holy Roman Empire.

Until the so-called "renewed constitution" of 1627, the German language was established as a second official language in the Czech lands. The Czech language remained the first language in the kingdom. Both German and Latin were widely spoken among the ruling classes, although German became increasingly dominant, while Czech was spoken in much of the countryside.

The formal independence of Bohemia was further jeopardized when the Bohemian Diet approved administrative reform in 1749. It included the indivisibility of the Habsburg Empire and the centralization of rule; this essentially meant the merging of the Royal Bohemian Chancellery with the Austrian Chancellery.

At the end of the 18th century, the Czech National Revival movement, in cooperation with part of the Bohemian aristocracy, started a campaign for restoration of the kingdom's historic rights, whereby the Czech language was to replace German as the language of administration. The enlightened absolutism of Joseph II and Leopold II, who introduced minor language concessions, showed promise for the Czech movement, but many of these reforms were later rescinded. During the Revolution of 1848, many Czech nationalists called for autonomy for Bohemia from Habsburg Austria, but the revolutionaries were defeated. The old Bohemian Diet, one of the last remnants of the independence, was dissolved, although the Czech language experienced a rebirth as romantic nationalism developed among the Czechs.

In 1861, a new elected Bohemian Diet was established. The renewal of the old Bohemian Crown (Kingdom of Bohemia, Margraviate of Moravia, and Duchy of Silesia) became the official political program of both Czech liberal politicians and the majority of Bohemian aristocracy ("state rights program"), while parties representing the German minority and small part of the aristocracy proclaimed their loyalty to the centralistic Constitution (so-called "Verfassungstreue"). After the defeat of Austria in the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, Hungarian politicians achieved the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, ostensibly creating equality between the Austrian and Hungarian halves of the empire. An attempt by the Czechs to create a tripartite monarchy (Austria-Hungary-Bohemia) failed in 1871. However, the "state rights program" remained the official platform of all Czech political parties (except for social democrats) until 1918.

Twentieth century

After World War I, Bohemia (as the biggest and most populated land) became the core of the newly-formed country of Czechoslovakia, which combined Bohemia, Moravia, Austrian Silesia, Upper Hungary (present-day Slovakia) and Carpathian Ruthenia into one state. Under its first president, Tomáš Masaryk, Czechoslovakia became a liberal democratic republic but serious issues emerged regarding the Czech majority's relationship with the native German and Hungarian minorities.

Following the Munich Agreement in 1938, the border regions of Bohemia historically inhabited predominantly by ethnic Germans (the Sudetenland) were annexed to Nazi Germany; this was the only time in Bohemian history that its territory was politically divided. The remnants of Bohemia and Moravia were then annexed by Germany in 1939, while the Slovak lands became the separate Slovak Republic, a puppet state of Nazi Germany. From 1939 to 1945 Bohemia, (without the Sudetenland), together with Moravia formed the German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (''Reichsprotektorat Böhmen und Mähren''). Any open opposition to German occupation was brutally suppressed by the Nazi authorities and many Czech patriots were executed as a result. After World War II ended in 1945, the vast majority of remaining Germans were expelled by force by the order of the re-established Czechoslovak central government, based on Potsdam Agreement, and their property was confiscated by the Czech authorities. This severely depopulated the area and from this moment on locales were only referred to in their Czech equivalents regardless of their previous demographic makeup. After World War II, Czechoslovakia was re-established. In 1946, the Communist Party strongly subsidized by the Soviet Union (due to an agreement amongst the Allies, Patton's armies reluctantly did not enter Prague and the city had to liberate itself before being officially liberated by the Soviet Red Army) won elections. In February 1948 the Communists ousted the remaining democratic ministers from the government in a coup d'état and installed a pro-Soviet authoritarian state.

Beginning in 1949, Bohemia ceased to be an administrative unit of Czechoslovakia, as the country was divided into administrative regions. Between 1949 and 1989 Czechoslovakia (from 1960 officially called Czechoslovak Socialistic Republic) became a Soviet satellite even though there was not a Soviet army present (interestingly enough, surrounding countries including Eastern Austria were occupied by the Red Army) until Czechoslovak Communist Party started to reform and democratize itself in 1968. This "Prague Spring" process was stopped abruptly by an invasion of 'brotherly' armies of Warsaw Pact in August 1968. In 1989, Agnes of Bohemia became the first saint from a Central European country to be canonized by Pope John Paul II before the "Velvet Revolution" later that year. After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993 (the "Velvet Divorce"), the territory of Bohemia became part of the new Czech Republic.

The Czech constitution from 1992 refers to the "citizens of the Czech Republic in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia" and proclaims continuity with the statehood of the Bohemian Crown. Bohemia is not currently an administrative unit of the Czech Republic. Instead, it is divided into the Prague, Central Bohemian, Plzeň, Karlovy Vary, Ústí nad Labem, Liberec, and Hradec Králové Regions, as well as parts of the Pardubice, Vysočina, South Bohemian and South Moravian Regions.

See also

History of the Czech lands

Crown of Bohemia

List of rulers of Bohemia

Sudetenland

German Bohemia

Bohemianism

Lech, Czech and Rus

References

External links

Bohemia

Category:Geography of the Czech Republic Category:Czech history Category:Historical regions in the Czech Republic Category:Boii

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Edgar Cruz is an independent classical and fingerstyle guitarist from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Having recorded over a sixteen CDs in styles ranging from classical to flamenco to pop to jazz, Cruz is perhaps best known for his fingerstyle arrangement of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". Additionally, Cruz was featured in an OETA (Oklahoma's PBS affiliate) documentary entitled "Spanish Blood - The Guitar of Edgar Cruz". Cruz took second place in the 1991 Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas in the fingerstyle competition as did his brother Mark Anthony Cruz in 1993 & 2001. Cruz's career began when he followed in his father Manuel Cruz' footsteps playing for restaurant customers as a strolling guitarist. His marketing strategy was taken from his father who said, "play what your audience wants and they'll pay you well". Each year Edgar Cruz performs over 200 concerts and has played throughout America, Europe and South America. He has been a headliner at The Chet Atkins Festival in Nashville, TN since 1995 and is a strong icon at most festivals in Oklahoma including Festival of the Arts, Paseo Festival, Sunfest, Global Oklahoma and more. Cruz offers an incredible live repertoire of “The Greatest Hits of the Guitar”. Malagueña, Classical Gas, Bohemian Rhapsody, In the Mood, Dueling Banjos, Hotel California, A Classical Medley, Latin favorites and Medleys On the Fly are just a few examples. Audience participation, clapping, singing, dancing, snapping, “oles and yee-haws” are all encouraged. Sixteen CDs and 2 DVDs are currently available. They cover moods from Latin, Classical, International, Rock, Jazz, Mariachi, Romantic, Christmas and originals. Future works include a Live Video and more of the fore mentioned. Edgar has been named the Oklahoma’s Top Performing Artist and/or Acoustic Guitarist for over ten years by the Oklahoma Gazette. He has received numerous civic acknowledgments for his contributions to various charitable events. He also performs for a wide variety of bookings including Concerts, Festivals, Weddings, Receptions, Banquets, Anniversaries, Birthdays, Schools, Churches, Conventions, Fiestas, Memorials, Masterclasses, Lessons, Restaurants or any special occasion. Edgar holds a Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance from Oklahoma City University, the first person to do so. Complete and up to date information can be found at www.edgarcruz.com

External links

Edgar Cruz

Edgar Cruz performs Bohemian Rhapsody

Category:Fingerstyle guitarists Category:Living people

name	Charles Aznavour
background	solo_singer
birth name	Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian
birth date	May 22, 1924
origin	Paris, France
countries
genre	PopChansonJazz
occupation	Singer-songwriter, actor, public activist, diplomat
years active	1936–present
label	EMIMusArm Records
associated acts	Claude LombardKatia Aznavour
website	www.c-aznavour.com }}

Charles Aznavour, OC (born ''Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian'' ''Shahnowr Vaghinak Aznavowrhan'', May 22, 1924, Paris) is an Armenian-French singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world. Charles Aznavour (pronounced in French as Sharl Aznavour) is known for his very short stature and for his unique tenor voice: clear and ringing in its upper reaches, with gravelly and profound low notes. He has appeared in more than sixty movies, composed about a thousand songs (including 150 at least in English, 100 in Italian, 70 in Spanish, and 50 in German), and sold well over 100 million records.

In 1998, Charles Aznavour was named Entertainer of the Century by CNN and users of ''Time Online'' from around the globe. He was recognized as the century's outstanding performer, with nearly 18% of the total vote, edging out Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. He has sung for presidents, popes, and royalty, as well as at humanitarian events, and is the founder of the charitable organization ''Aznavour for Armenia'' along with his long-time friend and impresario Levon Sayan.

Aznavour started his global farewell tour in late 2006, and will tour France in Fall 2011. In 2009 he was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations at Geneva.

Biography

Background

Aznavour was born as Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian in Paris, the son of Armenian immigrants Michael Aznavourian (from Akhaltsikhe in Georgia) and Knar Baghdasarian (from Turkey). His father, who was half Armenian and half Georgian , spent his youth in Tbilisi, where his family had moved for work (Charles's grandfather was a personal chef to Governor General in Tbilisi). Later, after moving to France, Michael Aznavourian sang in restaurants before establishing his own Georgian restaurant called ''Le Caucase''. Together with his wife, who was an actress, Michael introduced Charles to the world of theatre at an early age. Charles dropped out of school at the age of nine, already aspiring to the life of an artist. He began to perform at this time, and soon took the stage name "Aznavour". His big break came in 1946 when the singer Édith Piaf heard him sing and arranged to take him with her on tour in France and to the United States.

Music

Often described as "France's Frank Sinatra ", Aznavour sings frequently about love. He has written musicals and about a thousand songs, and made more than one hundred records. Aznavour's voice is shaded towards the tenor range, but possesses the low range and coloration more typical of a baritone, contributing to his unique sound. Aznavour speaks and sings in many languages (French, English, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Armenian, Portuguese, Neapolitan), which has helped him perform at Carnegie Hall and other major venues around the world. He also recorded at least one song from the 18th century poet Sayat Nova, in Armenian. ''Que C'est Triste Venise'', sung in French, Italian (''Com'è Triste Venezia''), Spanish (''Venecia Sin Ti''), English (''How Sad Venice Can Be''), and German (''Venedig in Grau''), is one of Aznavour's most famous multilingual songs.

In 1974 Aznavour became a major success in the United Kingdom where his song "She" went to Number One in the charts. His other well-known song in the UK was "Dance in the Old Fashioned Way".

Artists who have covered his songs and collaborated with Aznavour include Fred Astaire, Andrea Bocelli, Bing Crosby, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan (he named Aznavour among the greatest live performers he's ever seen), Liza Minnelli, Josh Groban, Shirley Bassey, José Carreras, Laura Pausini, Nana Mouskouri and Julio Iglesias. Fellow French pop legend Mireille Mathieu has sung and recorded with Aznavour on numerous occasions. In 1974, Jack Jones recorded an entire album of Aznavour compositions entitled "Write Me A Love Song, Charlie", re-released on CD in 2006. Aznavour and Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti sang Gounod's aria ''Ave Maria'' together. He performed with famed Russian cellist and friend Mstislav Rostropovich to inaugurate the French presidency of the European Union in 1995. Elvis Costello recorded "She" for the film ''Notting Hill''. One of Aznavour's greatest friends and collaborators from the music industry is legendary Spanish operatic tenor Plácido Domingo, who often performs his hits, most notably a studio recording of "Les bateaux sont partis" in 1985, as well as multiple live renditions Aznavour's "Ave Maria". In 1994, Aznavour performed with Domingo and Norwegian soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø at Domingo's third annual ''Christmas in Vienna'' concert. The three singers performed a variety of carols, medleys, and duets, and the concert was televised throughout the world, as well as released on a CD internationally.

At the start of autumn in 2006, Aznavour initiated his farewell tour, performing in the US and Canada, and earning very positive reviews. Aznavour started 2007 with concerts all over Japan and Asia. The second half of 2007 saw Aznavour return to Paris for over 20 shows at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, followed by more touring in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the rest of France. He has repeatedly stated that this farewell tour, health permitting, will likely last beyond 2010. At 87, Aznavour is in excellent health, although admittedly 60 years on stage have made him "a little hard of hearing". He still sings in multiple languages and without persistent use of teleprompters, but typically sticks to just two or three (French and English being the primary two, with Spanish or Italian being the third) during most concerts. On 30 September 2006, Aznavour performed a major concert in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia to start off the cultural season "Arménie mon amie" in France. Former Armenian president Robert Kocharyan and French president Jacques Chirac, at the time on an official visit to Armenia, were in front-row attendance.

In 2006, 82-year-old Aznavour traveled to Cuba, where he, together with Chucho Valdes, recorded his new album ''Colore Ma Vie'', presented at Aznavour's Moscow concert in April 2007. Later, in July 2007, Aznavour was invited to perform at the Vieilles Charrues Festival.

"Forever Cool" (2007), an album from Capitol/EMI, features Aznavour singing a new duet of "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime" with the voice of the late Dean Martin.

Aznavour finished a tour of Portugal in February 2008. On 18 January 2008 he participated as guest vocalist with the contestants of the French reality show Star Academy and sang his famous ''Emmenez-Moi'' with contestant Jérémy Chapron. Throughout the spring of 2008, Aznavour toured South America, holding a multitude of concerts in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Summer saw him in Quebec, and a return to Latin America followed in autumn.

Charles Aznavour's newest album, the highly anticipated international release of ''Duos'', is a collaborative effort featuring Aznavour and his greatest friends and partners from his long career in the music industry, including Celine Dion, Laura Pausini, Josh Groban, Plácido Domingo, and many others. It was released on various dates in December 2008 across the world. His next album, ''Charles Aznavour and The Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra'' (previously known as ''Jazznavour 2''), is a continuation in the same vein as his hit album ''Jazznavour'' released in 1998, involving new arrangements on his classic songs with a jazz orchestra and other guest jazz artists. It was released on November 30, 2009.

Aznavour's current tour, ''Aznavour en liberté'', which started in late April 2009 with a wave of concerts across the United States and Canada, took him across Latin America in the autumn, as well as the USA once again. In 2011 87-years old Aznavour's new international tour is starting with concerts in France (21 concerts in "Olympia"), Switzerland, Italy, Belgium and other countries.

Film

Aznavour has had a long and varied parallel career as an actor, appearing in over 60 films. In 1960 Aznavour starred in François Truffaut's ''Tirez sur le pianiste'', playing a character called Édouard Saroyan. He also put in a critically acclaimed performance in the 1974 movie ''And Then There Were None''. Aznavour had an important supporting role in 1978's ''The Tin Drum'', winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1979. Aznavour starred in the 2002 movie ''Ararat'' playing Edward Saroyan, a movie director.

Armenia and abroad

Since the 1988 earthquake in Armenia, Aznavour has been helping the country through his charity, Aznavour for Armenia. Together with his brother in-law and co-author Georges Garvarentz he writes the song "Pour toi Arménie", which was performed by a group of famous French artists and topped the charts for 18 weeks. There is a square named after him in central Yerevan on Abovian Street, and a statue erected in Gyumri, which saw the most lives lost in the earthquake. In 1995 Charles Aznavour was appointed an Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Armenia to UNESCO. Aznavour is a member of the Armenia Fund International Board of Trustees. The organization has rendered more than $150 million in humanitarian aid and infrastructure development assistance to Armenia since 1992. Charles Aznavour was appointed as "Officier" (Officer) of the Légion d'honneur in 1997.

In 2004 Aznavour received the title of "National Hero" of Armenia for his humanitarian work, Armenia's highest award. On December 26, 2008, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan signed a presidential decree for granting citizenship for the Republic of Armenia to Charles Aznavour whom he called a "prominent singer and public figure" and "a hero of the Armenian people".

An admirer of Québec, where he played in Montréal cabarets before becoming famous, he has helped the career of Québécoise singer-songwriter Lynda Lemay in France, and has a house in Montreal. On 5 July 2008, he was invested as an honorary officer of the Order of Canada and performed the following day on the Plains of Abraham as a feature of the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City.

Aznavour and famed Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour, with the collaboration of over 40 of France's most celebrated singers and musicians, recorded a music video band aid in the aftermath of the catastrophic 2010 Haiti earthquake, titled "1 geste pour Haïti chérie".

Personal life and cultural impact

Aznavour married his third wife, Swede Ulla Thorsell, in 1968. He has 5 children - Seda, Katia, Misha, Nicolas and Patrick. He currently resides in Geneva, Switzerland.

His musicality and fame abroad is present in many other areas of pop culture. Aznavour's name was used as the basis for the name of the character Char Aznable by Yoshiyuki Tomino in his anime mecha series, Mobile Suit Gundam. His song "Parce Que Tu Crois" was sampled by Hip Hop producer Dr. Dre for the song "What's the Difference", from his album ''2001''. He is mentioned in The Psychedelic Furs song "Sister Europe" ("The radio upon the floor/ is stupid, it plays Aznavour").

He has often joked about his physicality, the most infamous feature of which is his limited height; he stands only 1m60 (5ft3) tall, and Aznavour has made this a source of self-deprecating humour over the years.

Politics

Charles Aznavour has been increasingly involved in French, Armenian, and international politics as his career has progressed. During the 2002 French presidential elections, when radical right-wing nationalist Jean-Marie Le Pen of the National Front made it into the runoff election, facing incumbent Jacques Chirac, Aznavour signed the "Vive la France" petition, and called on all French to "sing the Marseillaise" in protest. Chirac, a personal friend of Aznavour's, ended up winning in a landslide, carrying over 82% of the vote.

He has written a song about the Armenian Genocide, titled ''Ils sont tombés'' (in English "''They are fallen''").

He has also campaigned fervently for international copyright law reform. In November 2005 he met with President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso on the issue of the review of term of protection for performers and producers in the EU, advocating an extension of the EU's term of protection from the current 50 years to the United States' law allowing 95 years, saying "[o]n term of protection, artists and record companies are of the same mind. Extension of term of protection would be good for European culture, positive for the European economy and would put an end the current discrimination with the U.S." He has also notably butted heads with French politician Christine Boutin over her defense of a "global license" flat-fee authorization for sharing of copyrighted files over the Internet, claiming that the license would eliminate creativity. In May 2009 the French Senate approved one of the strictest internet anti-piracy bills ever with a landslide 189-14 vote. Aznavour was a vocal proponent of the measure and considered it a rousing victory:

"If the youth can't make a living through creative work, they will do something else and the artistic world will be dealt a blow... There will be no more songs, no more books, nothing at all. So we had to fight", said Aznavour.

Along with holding the mostly ceremonial title of French ambassador-at-large to Armenia, Aznavour agreed to hold the position of Ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland on February 12, 2009:

"First I hesitated, as it is not an easy task. Then I thought that what is important for Armenia is important for us. I have accepted the proposal with love, happiness and feeling of deep dignity", said Aznavour.

Awards and recognition

1963, 1971 and 1980 - Edison Awards (three-time awardwinner)

1971 - Golden Lion Honorary Award at the Venice Film Festival for the Italian version of the song ''Mourir d'aimer''

1995 - Large Medal of French Academy

1995 - Ambassador of Goodwill and Permanent Delegate of Armenia to UNESCO

1996 - Induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame

1997 - French Victoire award for Male artist of the year

1997 - Honorary César Award

1997 - ''Officier'' (Officer) of the ''Legion d'honneur''

2004 - National Hero of Armenia

2006 - Honorary prize at 30th Cairo Film Festival

2008 - Honorary Officer of the Order of Canada

2008 - Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia

2009 - MIDEM Lifetime Achievement Award 2009 - Grigor Lusavorich award of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic 2009 - Officer of the National Order of Quebec

Discography

Filmography

Actor

''La Guerre des gosses'' (1936) – Extra

''Adieu chérie'' (1946)'' (as Aznavour) – Le duettiste

''Entrez dans la danse'' (1948)

''Une gosse sensass''' (1957) – Le chanteur

''Paris Music Hall'' (1957) – Charles

''La Tête contre les murs'' (1959) – Heurtevent

''Les Dragueurs'' (1959) – Joseph Bouvier

''Pourquoi viens-tu si tard?'' (1959) – Un danseur

''Oh! Qué mambo'' (1959)'' (uncredited) – Un spectateur au cabaret

''Le Testament d'Orphée'' (1960) (uncredited) – The Curious Man

''Un taxi pour Tobrouk'' (1960) – Samuel Goldmann

''Tomorrow Is My Turn'' (''Le Passage du Rhin'') (1960) – Roger

''Tirez sur le pianiste'' (1960) – Charlie Kohler/Édouard Saroyan

''Gosse de Paris'' (1961)

''Les Lions sont lâchés'' (1961) – Charles, un convive de Marie-Laure

''Esame di guida - tempo di Roma'' (1962) – Marcello

''Horace 62'' (1962) – Horace Fabiani

''Le Diable et les dix commandements'' (1962) – Denis Mayeux (episode "Homicide point ne seras")

''Les Quatre vérités'' (1962) – Charles

''Les Vierges'' (1963) – Berthet

''Cherchez l'Idole (1963) – Aznavour

''Le Rat d'Amérique'' (1963) – Charles

''Thomas l'imposteur'' (1964)

''Alta infedeltà'' (1964) – Giulio (segment "Peccato nel Pomeriggio")

''La Métamorphose des cloportes'' (1965) – Edmond

''Le Facteur s'en va-t-en guerre'' (1966) – Thibon

''Paris au mois d'août'' (1966) – Henri Plantin

''Caroline chérie'' (1968) – Postillon

''Candy'' (1968) – Hunchback juggler

''Le Temps des loups'' (1969) – Inspector

''The Adventurers'' (1970) – Marcel Campion

''L'Amour'' (1970) – Le présentateur

''The Games'' (1970) – Pavel Vendek

''The Selfish Giant'' (1971) – Narrator (French version)

''Un beau monstre'' (1971) – Inspector Leroy

''Part des lions'' (1971) – Éric Chambon

''Les Intrus'' (1972) – Charles Bernard

''The Blockhouse'' (1973) – Visconti

''Dix Petits Negres'' (1974) Dir Peter Colinson, Produit par Gerard Thum

''Ein Unbekannter rechnet ab'' (1974) – Michel Raven

''Sky Riders'' (1976) – Insp. Nikolidis

''Folies bourgeoises'' (1976) – Dr. Lartigue

''Die Blechtrommel'' (1979) – Sigismund Markus

''Ciao, les mecs'' (1979) – L'amnésique

''Der Zauberberg'' (1982) – Naphta

''Qu'est-ce qui fait courir David?'' (1982) – Léon, le père de David

''Les Fantômes du chapelier'' (1982) – Kachoudas

''Une jeunesse'' (1983) – Bellun

''Viva la vie!'' (1984) – Édouard Takvorian

''Yiddish Connection'' (1986) – Aaron Rapoport

''Mangeclous'' (1988) – Jérémie

''Il Maestro'' (1989) – Romualdi

''Le chinois'' (1989) – Charles Cotrel

''Charles Aznavour Armenia 1989'' (1989)

''Les Années campagne'' (1992) – Le grand-père/Grandfather

''Pondichéry, dernier comptoir des Indes'' (1997) – Léo Bauman

''Le Comédien'' (1997) – Monsieur Maillard

''Laguna'' (2001)

''Truth About Charlie'' (2002) – Himself

''Ararat'' (2002) – Edward Saroyan

''Le Père Goriot'' (2004) – Jean-Joachim Goriot

''Ennemis publics'' (2005)

''The Colonel'' (2006) – Père Rossi

''Up'' (2009) – Carl Fredricksen (French Voice)

Concerts

Video

1977 ''Großer Unterhaltungsabend – Charles Aznavour'' (Essen, Germany 1977). VHS Nikkatsu Video Films Co., Ltd./Japan

1982 ''An Evening with Charles Aznavour'' (Duke of York's Theatre, London 1982). VIP Videocasette Diffusion, VHS SECAM MU 550

Laserdisc

1982 ''An Evening with Charles Aznavour'' (Duke of York's Theatre, London 1982) [content differs from the video version]

DVD

1999 ''Aznavour Live - Palais des Congrès 97/98'' (EMI)

2001 ''Aznavour Live - Olympia 68/72/78/80'' (EMI)

2001 ''Charles Aznavour au Carnegie Hall'' (New York, June 1996) (EMI)

2001 ''AZNAVOUR – Pour toi Arménie'' (At Erevan Opera, September 1996)

2002 ''Patrick Bruel – Entre-Deux'' (C. Aznavour sings ''Parlez-moi d'amour'' [with Patrick Bruel])

2003 ''AZNAVOUR LIVE – Palais des Congrès 1994'' (EMI)

2004 ''Aznavour – Minelli au Palais des Congrès de Paris'' (EMI)

2004 ''Toronto 1980'' (as a Bonus to the ''Aznavour/Indispensables'' CD Boxset) (EMI)

2004 ''80, Bon Anniversaire Charles – Palais des congrès 2004'' (EMI)

2004 ''Bon anniversaire Charles!'' (TV broadcast concert for Charles Aznavour 80th anniversary, May 22, 2004) (EMI)

2005 ''Charles Aznavour 2000 – Concert intégral'' (EMI)

2006 ''The Royal Opera – Die Fledermaus'' (Covent Garden, London 31-12-1983) (C. Aznavour sings ''She'')

2007 ''Charles Aznavour : En concert à Erevan'' (EMI)

2007 ''Aznavour - Palais des Congrès de Paris (1987)'' [not the same concert as the CD version] (EMI)

2008 ''Charles Aznavour et ses amis au Palais Garnier'' (EMI)

2009 ''Anthologie 1955-1972 - 3 DVD Box Set (PAL Only)'' (INA / EMI)

2010 ''Anthologie volume 2 1973 - 1999 - 3 DVD Box Set (PAL Only)'' (INA / EMI)

FILMS Documentary

''Charles Aznavour - Armenia 1989'', (Armenfilm) 1989 color 10min. 35mm. Director Levon Mkrtchyan. The film is about the humanitarian aid that Charles Aznavour, a famous French singer of Armenian origin, brought to Armenia after the Spitak earthquake in 1988.

''Christmas in Vienna III'', A Christmas gala concert live from Vienna on 22 December 1994 with Aznavour, Plácido Domingo and Sissel Kyrkjebø, featuring the Vienna Symphony conducted by famed Croatian conductor Vjekoslav Šutej.

''Making of "Colore ma vie"'', A making-of featurette released in 2007 coinciding with the release of Aznavour's latest studio album, ''Colore ma vie''. Filmed in Havana and Paris, it shows his collaboration with Chucho Valdez and the thoughts, opinions, and artistry the two put into the album.

Appeared on The Muppet Show Episode 9. Taping Dates: June 29 - July 1, 1976. Original Airdates: January 17, 1977 (New York) and January 22, 1977 (LA)

See also

List of best-selling music artists

Franco-Armenian relations

Ils Sont Tombés

References

External links

Official site

Charles Aznavour on imusic.am

Biography by Radio France International

Live performances

Charles Aznavour - "Ave Maria" performance

Charles Aznavour - "Hier encore" performance

Charles Aznavour - "Paris au mois d'août" performance

Category:1924 births Category:Living people Category:Ambassadors of Armenia Category:Ambassadors to Switzerland Category:English-language singers Category:French Armenians Category:French film actors Category:French-language singers Category:French male singers Category:French songwriters Category:Italian-language singers Category:Officers of the Order of Canada Category:Officers of the National Order of Quebec Category:Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Category:Actors from Paris Category:Permanent Representatives of Armenia to the United Nations Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Category:Spanish-language singers

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name	Jake Shimabukuro
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
born	November 03, 1976
instrument	Ukulele
genre	Jazz, blues, funk, rock, classical, bluegrass, folk, flamenco
years active	1998–present
associated acts	Pure Heart
website	www.jakeshimabukuro.com
notable instruments	}}

Jake Shimabukuro (born November 3, 1976 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is a ukulele virtuoso known for his complex finger work. His music combines elements of jazz and rock.

History

Shimabukuro's mother gave him an ukulele at age four and he quickly took an interest in the instrument. A fifth generation Japanese-American, Shimabukuro initially gained attention in Hawaii in 1998 as a member of Pure Heart, a trio with Lopaka Colon (percussion), and Jon Yamasato (guitar). Shimabukuro was working at a music store in Honolulu when the group released its eponymous first album, featuring a sound and style somewhat similar to the Kaau Crater Boys. Their first album won them four Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (the Hawaiian counterpart of the Grammy Awards): Island Contemporary Album of the Year, Most Promising Artist(s), Album of the Year and Favorite Entertainment of the Year, the latter determined by unrestricted public vote.

The following year, they released ''Pure Heart 2'', which earned them another Hoku award for Island Contemporary Album of the year. Yamasato informed the others that he was quitting the group via a newspaper story that ran in the ''Honolulu Advertiser ''on Thanksgiving Day, and Shimabukuro and Colon formed another group, Colon, which they named in honor of Colon's father, famed percussionist Augie Colon. The new guitarist was Guy Cruz, younger brother of the Kaau Crater Boys' Ernie Cruz, Jr., and John Cruz. Colon won the Hoku Award for Favorite Entertainer of the Year in 2001, after which Shimabukuro decided to pursue a solo career.

As a solo artist after the break-up of Colon he experimented with using effect pedals to make new sounds that few would associate with an ukulele. He has released an instructional DVD called ''Play Loud Ukulele'', and in 2006, composed the music to the Japanese film ''Hula Girls'', which featured hula dancing and a Hawaiian spa resort as its primary theme and setting respectively.

In November 2009, Shimabukuro accompanied fellow Hawaiian-born Bette Midler at the Royal Variety Show. They performed a rendition of the Beatles song "In My Life" as the first of Midler's three-song set.

Instruments

Shimabukuro plays a custom-made 4 string tenor ukulele from Kamaka Ukulele. He uses a Line 6 Pod XT Live.

References

The 1999 Hoku Award

Pure Heart member changes

Jake Shimabukuro Interview

External links

Official website

YouTube clip of live collaboration with beatboxer Jason Tom

Jake in Concert on midnight ukulele disco

Jake Shimabukuro collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive

Interview with Jake Shimabukuro 2009

2006 Shimabukuro Interview from Modern Guitars Magazine

2006 Shimabukuro Interview on NPR

2006 Shimabukuro Interview from AsiaXpress.com

A biography and listing of Shimabukuro's albums from Sony Music Entertainment Japan

- Photos from live show

Jake Shimabukuro featured at the Waikiki Shell, Hawaii Romance Festival, May 2008

Jake Shimabukuro feature by the Pacific Citizen newspaper, Oct. 2009

Category:Musicians from Hawaii Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:American people of Japanese descent Category:American people of Okinawan descent Category:American musicians of Japanese descent Category:Ukulele players

da:Jake Shimabukuro de:Jake Shimabukuro fr:Jake Shimabukuro it:Jake Shimabukuro hu:Jake Shimabukuro nl:Jake Shimabukuro ja:ジェイク・シマブクロ sv:Jake Shimabukuro