Genre
Chanson. The album is rooted in the French chanson tradition, combining lush orchestral arrangements with Aznavour's characteristically intimate lyrical voice, balancing melodic sophistication with emotional directness on subjects ranging from maternal love to longing and desire.
Release
Released in 1963 by Barclay Records, France.
Production
Orchestrations by Paul Mauriat (1925–2006), the French composer, arranger, and conductor who served as Aznavour's musical director for many years and was among the most sought-after orchestrators in French popular music.
Reception
La Mamma was one of Aznavour's most successful albums commercially, reaching number one in France — where it sold over one million copies — and also topping the charts in Spain, while achieving top ten positions in Belgium, the Netherlands, and other countries. The title track, released as a single in early 1964, became Aznavour's first million-seller.
Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour (born Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian, May 22, 1924, Paris – October 1, 2018, Mouriès, France) was a French-Armenian singer-songwriter, actor, and diplomat, widely regarded as one of the greatest figures in the history of French chanson and popular song. The son of Armenian immigrants who had fled the Armenian Genocide, he grew up in poverty in Paris, performing from childhood alongside his sister. His career was shaped in its early stages by the patronage of Édith Piaf, who encouraged him and took him on tour. Over a career spanning more than seventy years, he recorded over 1,200 songs in nine languages and wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 compositions for himself and others, selling between 180 and 200 million records in total. In 1998 he was voted Entertainer of the Century by CNN and Time Online. In 2009 he was appointed Armenia's Ambassador to Switzerland. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017 and inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1996. His funeral was held at Les Invalides in Paris, where French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a eulogy.
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