Humble Andrea has spent 20 years at the top
CAN you believe it has been 20 years? Classical music and opera hero Andrea Bocelli released his breakthrough album, Romanza, all the way back in 1997, if you can believe that.
The album was a “must-listen” back in the late ’90s and propelled Bocelli – who has been completely blind since the age of 12 – to international superstar status.
In fact Romanza sold 20 million copies, making it the biggest selling Italian album of all time.
Time To Say Goodbye, the English version of Con Te Partirò, was recorded with Sarah Brightman and, remarkably for a classical record, made it to No 1 in the UK charts.
I caught up with the brilliant Maestro Bocelli, as he’s known, to talk about the last two decades and what lies in the store for him.
“Success is not something you can predict, it’s the most unpredictable thing in the world,” he said. “So it’s not easy to replicate it.
“Time To Say Goodbye is a special song, it’s a song out of time. It’s a timeless song.
“It was impossible to know it was special at the time. It’s truly the song I perform the most often now.”
I wanted to ask Andrea about how his career began, and if there was a moment he realised his voice was so remarkable.
“There was a moment I remember very well from my time in boarding school,” he told me. “There was a party at the end of the year and I was asked to sing in front of everyone.
“I got up on the stage and there was a lot of noise because there were a lot of loud children having fun.
“I started to sing O Sole Mio, and after a few minutes, after the first high note, I felt a complete silence.
“And then there was a big applause. I was, and remain, very surprised!”
So Andrea, despite being one of the biggest international stars of music, seems like a very humble man.
“I like very much to read and write, and to ride horses,” he explained. “I was born and grew up in a small village and horses were my first friends. “I love to have dinners with my friends. “And sometimes, when I’m at home, my family and I like to sing together – my sons and I. They both study music.
“I like instruments, they are fascinating. I have a good collection.
“I studied piano but I like to play the flute and the saxophone.
“No, I’m not talented – I have passion!”