Released 1965 Length 3.59 Writer(s) Charles Aznavour | Genre Chanson Label Barclay Records | |
La Bohème is a song written by French songwriter Jacques Plante and Armenian-French artist Charles Aznavour.
Contents
History
It was first recorded by Aznavour in 1965. It is Aznavour's signature song, as well as one of the most popular French-language songs and a staple of French chanson. It became an international hit song in 1965 and was in TOP10 charts of Argentina (No 3), Rio de Janeiro (No 5), France (No 1), Brazil and other countries.
A painter recalls his young age Montmartre, he remembers his artistic life, the years, when he was hungry but happy. According to Aznavour, this song is a farewell to the last days of bohemian Montmartre. He also recorded Italian, Spanish, English, and German versions, as well as a rare Portuguese recording. It is performed at virtually every one of his concerts.
Cover versions
The Greek Cypriot singer Anna Vissi recorded a version of the song in Greek for her 1981 self-titled album. The song was called "Kséhasé me" (Ξέχασέ με, Forget me); Greek lyrics by Yiannis Parios.
It was later done in English by Dubstar, who included their version as a filler track for the release of their single "No More Talk".
In 2005, Mafalda Arnauth, a Portuguese fado singer recorded a version of this song for her fourth album Diário.
A re-interpretation was also done by electronic musician Nicolas Jaar, who used it in numerous of his famous live sets.
Kendji Girac interpreted his version of the song, heavily influenced by Spanish and gypsy culture in the 2014 tribute album Aznavour, sa jeunesse. It reached number 61 on the French SNEP singles chart.
The African-Spanish singer Buika recorded a version of the song in Spanish, called "La Bohemia," for her 2008 album, Niña de Fuego.