Flashback

Remembering Pavarotti

LUCIANO STARTED HIS series of Pavarotti & Friends charity concerts as a way of bringing opera to everyone. It is a genre that was usually just left to the ears of select audiences, especially in Italy, and he wanted to bring it to the people. Singing was something that made him incredibly happy and gave him a sense of security. He grew up during the Second World War and its aftermath, so he used singing to bring comfort and a bit of life to those darker days. He hoped that these concerts would do much the same for refugee children around the world.

The 2003 concert, the last of 10, in Modena was also a way of staying rooted to his past. Going back to his hometown, which he always had such great affection for, brought him a lot of joy. The friends he had at school were all still there, many of them were even able to come and watch him perform that night. He was touring all year round, so Modena was the place he always loved to return to.

Bono, myself and Luciano were celebrating the concert’s success afterwards at a gala dinner. At about midnight the first reviews started coming out, so we were all eagerly waiting to hear what the Italian media made of it. Here, Luciano is clutching a copy of that day’s paper, Il Resto del Carlino, just off the press, delighted with what they wrote.

Luciano and Bono had performed Ave Maria together that night. It was particularly poignant as it was the first concert following the death of Riccardo, the twin brother of our six-month-old daughter, Alice [he died at birth], so we were remembering him during that song. I was backstage watching their performance – not just as Pavarotti’s partner, I had also organised the entire thing – and I remember glancing into the crowd and seeing so many teary-eyed people looking back. A lot of them were really touched. I was in tears too; it was incredibly moving.

Luciano and Bono had been great friends since 1995, when they collaborated on the Sarajevo benefit concert together at Parco Novi Sad in Modena. It was a very powerful moment as few public figures were willing to stand up for Bosnia and speak out about the terrible things that were happening. Back then, we were all less informed about goings on in different countries. We didn’t have the constant social-media coverage like we do now.

The Irish and Italians are very similar in some ways – they’re passionate people, with a strong sense of wanting to enjoy all the good parts of life and not get bogged down by appearances. Bono and Luciano were both like that. And their performance that night was very much a moment of friendship rather than show business. I’ve been a fan of U2 since I was a teenager, so it was still a little thrilling to see Bono perform.

Luciano was nervous in the lead-up as he was always in competition with himself. In terms of preparing his voice for the concert, pop was a totally different musical genre than he was used to, so he had to adapt to that. But when he went on stage, he said all that anxiety disappeared and he was suddenly transported to another dimension.

It was such an emotionally charged moment. It was also the first time Alice got to watch her father perform. I carried her backstage in a sling and gave her a pair of mini headphones. She was smiling and taking everything in – she even got to meet Bono. Knowing that this was the final Pavarotti & Friends concert made it slightly bittersweet, but also it meant we could focus on Alice and dedicate a lot more of ourselves to her. — Interview by Anna Clarke

Pavarotti is in cinemas now. Pavarotti: Music from the Motion Picture and Pavarotti: The Greatest Hits (both including Bono duets) are out now on Decca Classics

The Irish and Italians are passionate people who enjoy the good parts of life. Bono and Luciano were both like that

Mantovani and Bono plant kisses on Pavarotti after their concert in Modena, 2003