𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻 and Armenian music

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Achkhen S-V

Charlie Chaplin about the music of Gomidas & the meeting with Aram Khachadourian.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝟭𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗦𝗗 𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟵𝟮𝟭, 𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗶𝗱 for 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗱e & His connection with Gomidas.

 

Today marks the birthday of Charlie Chaplin. He is considered as the greatest actor of 20th century and a person with unique human values. However, not many know that during the years of the Armenian Genocide, Charlie Chaplin started a foundation to help Armenian children & transferred all the collected money 2 this fund. Charlie traveled all over Europe in the 1920's, where He raised 1 million USD (worth 15 million USD value nowadays) & donated all the money to help Armenian orphans fleeing the Ottoman Empire. He personally visited these children, helped build orphanages & special rehabilitation centers for Armenian orphans in Europe & the United States. It was during this time that Charlie made the famous movie "The Kid", having co-actor a young poor boy, with sad & innocent character, somehow resembling Armenian orphans. 

 

In 1965, world famous Armenian composer Aram Khachadourian was invited to visit Switzerland, as part of a jury team for international musical competition. At that time Charlie was 76 years old, living an isolated life in a villa outside Geneva & rarely accepting to welcome any guest. Surprisingly, Aram Khachadourian received an invitation message from Chaplin, requesting to host the composer at his villa.

After few hours of long conversation, Khachadourian asked what is the mystery behind His sad face? 

 With a silent smile, Chaplin took Khachadourian to his private room where hee opened a drawer revealing records of a violinist playing music of Armenian priest Gomidas, known as the genius of Armenian music & pioneer of ethnomusicology. 

 

Chaplin said it is one of  his favorites and hee listens tp it whenever in need of inner peace. Gifting one of the records to Khachadourian, He added: "In life We think too much, feel too little. & the Armenian music is simply an endless ocean of pure emotions...".