Andrea Bocelli was born on September 22, 1958 in the Italian province of Pisa, in Lajatico. His family owned a small vineyard and Andrea's father made a small amount of wine every year, Chianti Bocelli. Already in early childhood Andrea started playing the church organ.
One day, Andrea's parents, Edie and Alessandro, noticed that something was wrong with their child's eyes, and they turned to a doctor who discovered Andrea had hereditary glaucoma, which in the future could develop into complete blindness. Andrea underwent numerous eye surgeries, which helped to slightly delay the progression of the disease.
It was in the hospital that Senora Edie noticed that classical music had a calming effect on her baby, and the whole family began purchasing recordings of classical and opera performers, from which Andrea’s lifelong love for opera began. His parents prepared him for the moment he would become permanently blind by sending him to a school for the blind, where he learned the alphabet for the blind and learned to play the flute. Andrea was always an active and playful child, and it was here, at a school for the blind, while playing football, that he received that ill-fated blow to the eye with a ball, which led to complete blindness.
His parents supported their son and always encouraged him to do what he loved. He was not allowed to feel like he was disabled. The boy rode horseback, rode a bicycle, swam and played with other children. He took piano lessons, and his younger brother Alberto took violin lessons. But most of all Andrea loved singing, and everyone liked the way he sang. He left a school for the blind and attended two more schools, then trained as a lawyer at the University of Pisa, and began his career at the Palazzo Giustizia in Pisa. While still at university, Andrea began earning money by playing the piano and performing songs in bars.
In 1970, Andrea wins his first singing competition, Margherita d'Oro in Viareggio, performing the song “O sole mio”. After graduation, Andrea works as a lawyer for a year, and then devotes himself entirely to music. He takes singing lessons from Bettarini, until his death in 1997 at the age of 83.
After working in his specialty for a year, Andrea realized that his heart was against it. He returned to performing in bars to earn money for piano lessons from Carlo Bernini, who became his close friend and mentor. He also took vocal lessons and constantly worked to improve his singing technique. Perhaps the most influential of his teachers was his idol, Franco Corelli, whose master class he attended in 1992.
"Official" start singing career Bocelli was almost accidental: he takes part in the test recording of the famous “Miserere”, which Zucchero Fornaciari arranges in 1992 to offer the song to Luciano Pavarotti. The great tenor, listening to Bocelli’s performance, will comment on it like this: “Thank you for the wonderful song, but let Andrea sing it. He's the best fit for her." As you know, Pavarotti will later record this song, but on Zucchero’s European tour it will be Andrea Bocelli who will replace Pavarotti on stage.
A little later, in 1993, Bocelli’s discographic career began. With the song "Miserere", performing both parts, he passes the qualifying round for the music festival in San Remo. And in 1994 he was invited to San Remo as famous performer, and with the song “Il mare calmo della sera” (“The Quiet Evening Sea”) he receives a record number of votes in the “New Proposals” category. Releases his first album with the same name, which goes platinum within a few weeks.
One night, while playing in a bar under open air"Boschetto" in Chianni, Andrea met 17-year-old Enrica Cenzatti. Before this he had no shortage of girlfriends, but this was real love. Their wedding took place on June 27, 1992, and Enrica later gave Andrea two sons, Amos and Matteo.
For reasons known only to Andrea and Enrique, they officially filed for divorce in early 2002. After the divorce, Andrea met new love- Veronica Berti, daughter of the Ancona baritone Ivano Berti, a woman who shares many of his interests, including a love of opera.
In 1996, he sang with English soprano Sarah Brightman ( ex-wife"King of Music" Andrew Lloyd Webber) in Germany. They sing the song for Henry Maske's last battle, new version"Con Te Partiro", "Time to Say Goodbye". The song broke all sales records on the market, and remained at the top of the German charts for almost half a year.
Simultaneously with numerous tours during this period, Bocelli received proposals for interpretation and popularization of lyric operas as if from a cornucopia.
“Luck never left me,” the singer comments on this period. In fact, it is precisely these days that it comes out new album“Sogno” (“Dream”), so long-awaited by the public that it immediately soars to first place in the European hit parade and fourth in the American chart. In the discography, such a triumph can be compared, perhaps, with the success of Domenico Modugno’s “Volare” in 1958. In the USA, even the term “Bocellimania” appeared.
The 1999 album "Arie sacre" becomes the classical music disc of the best-selling artist of all time. In 2000, after singing in the Vatican in the presence of the Pope on the occasion of the Jubilee Year, Bocelli released his fourth classical album, Verdi, followed by his first complete opera, La Bohème. After such serious works, in 2001 the “light” album “Cieli di Toscana” (“Heaven of Tuscany”) was born, and three years later a pop disc with the simple name “Andrea” was released, in which, however, in addition to Andrea himself, numerous "guests", including Amedeo Mingi and Mario Reyes.
Recognition comes not only from the public, but also from the state: on February 6, 2006, Bocelli received the Order of Merit for the Italian Republic.
And on March 2, 2010, the singer was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to performing arts(opera).
It would seem similar dizzying success could change the views on the life of the Tuscan tenor, alienate him from his family, from friends, from his attachment to the Tuscan fields... But no, as recognition comes from all over the world, Andrea never tires of repeating: “Success is everything just a case. You can't get too attached to him. There are many other things in life. When I return home, I close the door behind me and have dinner with my loved ones. The only thing I bring with me is my voice, also because I have to practice at least two hours a day.”
Andrea Bocelli with his sons and Veronica Berti
FAMILY BUSINESS
At home in Lagiatico, province of Pisa, on his family estate, Andrea and his brother Alberto, who is directly involved in this, family tradition working to improve the quality of their own wines. As Andrea says, they do this in memory of their father, Alessandro, who at one time devoted all his strength to cultivating the vineyards planted by his grandfather in the lands of Tuscany to produce the famous Chianti.
The wine, mostly red, is called "Le Terre di Sandro" ("Sandro's Land"), in memory of his father, and this year it produced its first harvest. “My brother and I decided to try to make real wine, and the first results exceeded all expectations,” says Andrea. The first harvest is not intended for sale, since its quantity is very small, less than 3000 bottles.
“We kept it just for ourselves,” the singer said. - "But we are planning to expand production. In the future we will send a number of bottles to American market. We do this in memory of the babbo (father) who so passionately continued the work of his ancestors. Wine is a universal cure for fatigue when we are overcome by problems. We call it "Bottles of Joy."
FAVORITES
Although music is central to Andrea's life, he has many other different interests. Even as a child, when returning from school, the first thing he did was run to the stables to see the horses. Horses - real passion Andrea Bocelli, since he was just a child, when his father and grandfather told him about how the first foal was born on their farm. Horses are not only strong, but also sensitive animals. Andrea understands them without difficulty, they feel each other well. He loves to take care of them: cleaning them, feeding them, and just feeling their warm presence next to him.
Andrea loves these beautiful and hardy animals very much. His blindness did not prevent him from becoming a pretty good horseman. In one of his interviews, Andrea Bocelli admits: “I like to live a dynamic life. I always liked sports, and I quickly learned to ride a horse - also because in the village there is not so much big choice classes - and it seems to me that I have been very successful in this matter, to be honest."
Andrea Bocelli now has five of his own Arabian stallions at his Tuscan estate. "Before big concerts I'm riding out on horseback. It helps me calm my nerves,” admits the singer. “However, before I get on a horse, I have to make sure that it is not as blind as me. Then I am absolutely calm while driving."
FEARLESS TENOR
In one of his interviews, Andrea Bocelli, answering a journalist’s question, says: “We must always maintain the tone of body and spirit, we must always strive to spend our leisure time usefully in order to make full use of the time we have. Movement, active life, sports have always attracted me. IN to a greater extent before I started mine musical career. When I have to be confined to an airplane seat, it is one of the most unbearable moments of my life."
In addition to horse riding, Andrea Bocelli loves to ride a bicycle without being embarrassed by the presence of traffic on the road. As the singer admits, he completely trusts Italian drivers.
Andrea Bocelli plays billiards well. And he even often wins, despite his blindness. “It’s a matter of habit, you just have to try again and again, like in anything else,” says the singer.
Andrea skied for the first time while on vacation in the mountains (Apennines). Since the descent was not difficult, the singer easily rolled down the mountain twice. But when his companion suggested moving on to a more difficult descent, Andrea refused: “I passed this test with honor and reached the finish line on my feet. Why tempt your fate?”
When asked if he felt fear at the same time, Andrea Bocelli said: “For me, sport has never been a challenge to anyone or anything. I did what I wanted to do, I believe that in general you need to understand what your interest is in, and then develop it, as it helps to enjoy life and fight boredom. strong fear I feel when I go on stage. It's not just fear, it's nervous tension. But the fear of physical risk was never truly unknown to me, especially in my younger years."
However, Andrea Bocelli survived the most dangerous moment when he made a parachute jump. "One day I was at an airfield near my house, there were several young people practicing parachute jumping. They asked me if I wanted to jump. I said - I'm free all day today, of course I'll try. It was the only one in my life once. My father was with me. Obviously, he had a different opinion about what I was going to do. Otherwise, she no doubt forbade me to jump."
The singer does not believe that by engaging in this type of sport, he is at greater risk due to blindness. "The risk is the same for everyone, regardless of physical characteristics. The risk is whether your parachute opens or not... It's no more risky than crossing a roadway or flying an airplane."
Italian Opera singer Andrea Bocelli was born in 1958 in Lagiatico in the province of Tuscany. Despite his blindness, he became one of the most memorable voices of modern opera and pop music. Bocelli is equally good at performing classical repertoire, and pop ballads. He recorded duets with Celine Dion, Sarah Brightman, Eros Ramazzotti and Al Jarreau. The last one who sang with him, "The Night Of Proms" in November 1995, said about Bocelli, "I had the honor of singing with the most in a beautiful voice in the world"".
Andrea Bocelli grew up on a farm in the small village of Lajatico. At the age of 6 he began learning to play the piano, and later mastered the flute and saxophone. Suffering from poor vision, he became completely blind at age 12 after an accident. Despite his obvious musical talents, Bocelli did not consider music as his further career, until he graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Pisa and received the title of doctor. Only then did Bocelli begin to seriously study his voice with the famous tenor Franco Gorelli, simultaneously earning money for piano lessons in various groups.
Bocelli's first breakthrough as a singer came in 1992, when Zucchero (Adelmo Fornaciari) was looking for a tenor to record a demo of the song "Miserere", which he wrote with U2's Bono. Having successfully passed the selection, Bocelli recorded the composition in a duet with Luciano Pavarotti. After a worldwide tour with Fornaciari in 1993, Bocelli performed at the charity Pavarotti International Festival, which was held in Modena in September 1994. Besides Luciano Pavarotti, Bocelli also sang with Bryan Adams, Andreas Vollenweider and Nancy Gustafsson. In November 1995, Bocelli toured the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain and France with the production of "Night Of Proms", which also featured Bryan Ferry, Al Jarreau, Supertramp's Roger Hodgson and John Mays.
Bocelli's first two albums "Andrea Bocelli" (1994) and Bocelli (1996) featured only him opera singing, and the third disc of Viaggio Italiano is famous opera arias and traditional Neapolitan songs. Although the CD was released only in Italy, it sold more than 300 thousand copies there. The fourth album Romanza (1997) featured pop material, including the hit "Time To Say Goodbye", recorded in a duet with Sarah Brightman, which had big success. After this, Bocelli continued to develop a profitable pop direction, releasing his fifth album Sogno in 1999, which included a duet with Celine Dion, "The Prayer." Released as a single, this song sold 10 million copies in the United States alone, and for its performance Bocelli received Golden Globe Awards and was nominated for a Grammy in the “Best New Artist” category.
Website: http://www.liveinternet.ru
Andrea Bocelli is a blind singer with the most beautiful voice in the world:
“MUSIC IS MY LIFE...”
“I was born on September 22, 1958 in the Tuscan village of Lajatico, near Volterra. Under the influence of religious principles, as well as inspired by the example of my parents, I learned not to submit to the blows of fate, but to try to strengthen my strength in confronting them.
As far as I can remember, absolutely every moment of my life was filled with a passionate love for music. The greatest tenors of Italy - among them Del Monaco, Gigli, and most of all Corelli - have always aroused my great admiration and inspired me when I was still very young. Burning with a love for opera, I devoted my entire life to the dream of becoming a great tenor.
Even though I live in changing world, I calmly accept everything that life presents to me: I enjoy the simplest things and readily accept any challenge of fate. I always try to remain optimistic, following the true meaning of the statement French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “We truly see only with our hearts. The essence of things is invisible to our eyes."
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli - a modern tenor, but of the old school
The Italian opera singer was born in 1958 in Lagiatico, in the province of Tuscany. Despite his blindness, he became one of the most memorable voices of modern opera and pop music. Bocelli is equally good at performing classical repertoire and pop ballads.
Andrea Bocelli grew up on a farm in the small village of Lajatico. At the age of 6 he began learning to play the piano, and later mastered the flute and saxophone. Suffering from poor vision, he became completely blind at age 12 after an accident. Despite his obvious musical talents, Bocelli did not consider music as a future career until he graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Pisa and received his doctorate. Only then did Bocelli begin to seriously study his voice with the famous tenor Franco Corelli, simultaneously earning money for piano lessons in various groups.
Bocelli's first breakthrough as a singer came in 1992, when Zucchero Fornaciari was looking for a tenor to record a demo of the song "Miserere", which he wrote with U2's Boni. Having successfully passed the selection, Bocelli recorded the composition in a duet with Pavarotti.
After a worldwide tour with Fornaciari in 1993, Bocelli performed at the charity Pavarotti International Festival, which was held in Modena in September 1994.
In addition to Pavarotti, Bocelli also sang with Bryan Adams, Andreas Vollenweider and Nancy Gustafson. In November 1995, Bocelli traveled to the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain and France with the production of "Night Of Proms", which also featured Bryan Ferry, Al Jarre and John Mays.
Bocelli's first two albums, Andrea Bocelli (1994) and Bocelli (1996), featured only his opera singing, while the third disc, Viaggio Italiano, featured famous opera arias and traditional Neapolitan songs. Although the CD was released only in Italy, it sold more than 300 thousand copies there. The fourth album, "Romanza" (1997), featured pop material, including the hit "Time To Say Goodbye", recorded in a duet with Sarah Brightman, which was a great success.
After this, Bocelli continued to develop a profitable pop direction, releasing his fifth album, Sogno, in 1999, which included a duet with Celine Dion, “The Prayer.”
Released as a single, this song sold 10 million copies in the United States alone. For her performance, Bocelli received a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best New Artist" category. Latest album"Ciele di Toscana" was released in 2001.
Andrea Bocelli - sole singer, who managed to merge pop music and opera: “He sings songs like opera and opera like songs.”
This may sound insulting, but the result is quite the opposite: a huge number of adoring fans. And among them are not only teenagers dressed in rumpled T-shirts, but also endless lines of businesswomen and housewives and dissatisfied employees and managers in double-breasted jackets who ride the subway with a laptop computer on their laps and a Bocelli CD in their player. Twenty-four million CDs sold on five continents is no joke even for those accustomed to counting in billions of dollars.
Everyone likes the Italian, whose voice can mix melodrama with a song from San Remo. In Germany, the country that discovered it in 1996, it is constantly present in the charts. In the US, he is the subject of a cult: President Bill Clinton, who knows the score for the film "Kansas City" by heart, calls himself among Bocelli's admirers. And he wanted Bocelli to sing at the White House and at the Democratic meeting.
Soon on talented musician drew the attention of the Pope. The Holy Father recently received Bocelli at his summer residence, Castel Gandolfo, to hear him perform the Jubilee 2000 anthem. And he released this hymn into the world with a blessing.
But the real Bocelli phenomenon flourishes not in Italy, where singers who sing easy-to-whistle songs and romances are scarce, but in the United States. “Dream”, his new CD, which has already become a bestseller in Europe, is in first place in popularity overseas.
And let it not be said that Bocelli owes his success to the widespread good nature and desire to protect him, caused by his blindness. Of course, the fact of being blind plays a role in this story. But the fact remains: I like his voice. “He has a very beautiful timbre. And since Bocelli sings in Italian, the audience gets a feeling of being part of the culture. Culture for the masses. This is what makes them feel good,” Lisa Altman, vice president of Philips, explained some time ago Bocelli is Italian and, especially, Tuscan.
This is one of his strengths: he presents a culture that is popular and refined at the same time. The sounds of Bocelli's voice are so gentle that they evoke in the mind of every American a room with a beautiful view, the hills of Fiesole, the hero of the film "The English Patient", the stories of Henry James.
After the 5th annual Art Festival Italian Film and Fashion in Los Angeles, held from February 28, 2010 at the Mann Chinese Theater Complex, awarded a Hollywood star on the Walk of Fame.
Andrea Bocelli - Italian opera singer, awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Andrea Bocelli's star is the two thousand four hundred and second star on the Alley.
2402nd Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
IN free time Bocelli retires to a secluded corner and reads “War and Peace” using his computer with a Braille keyboard. He wrote an autobiography. The temporary title is “The Music of Silence” (copyright sold to Warner by Italian publishing house Mondadori for $500,000).
Success is determined more by Bocelli's personality than by his voice. He is endowed with extraordinary courage: he skis, goes in for horseback riding, and won the most important battle: despite his blindness and unexpected success(this can also be a disadvantage), he managed to lead a normal life.
Bocelli's voice, sounding organically in works that combine seemingly incompatible musical styles- classical opera and popular music, delights people of all ages and social status worldwide.
FACTS have already reported on the results of the survey public opinion conducted by the American news agency ABC, which set out to determine the most charming man outgoing 1999. The Americans gave second place to their first lady, Hillary Clinton. The third was the richest man in the world, the founder of Microsoft Corporation, Bill Gates. And out of competition was the famous Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who turned out to be the only foreigner in the top five. Today we want to introduce our readers better to this extraordinary man, whose voice enchants millions of music lovers around the world.
Until recently, Andrea Bocelli was known only to opera lovers. This 40-year-old Italian tenor has come close to recognized stars - Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras. But in the spring of this year, Bocelli recorded the disc “Sogno,” which instantly soared to the top of numerous pop music charts around the world. And the singer’s appearance at the Oscars and Grammy ceremonies only increased interest in his work and personal life.
Andrea Bocelli was born on September 22, 1958 in Pisa. His childhood was spent in the vineyards owned by his father. From birth he had poor eyesight. And at the age of 12, while playing football, a ball hit him in the head. The boy was completely blinded by the strong blow. But this did not break Andrea. He learned to play the flute, clarinet, saxophone, piano, and also studied law. Bocelli was very stubborn and paid for his studies himself, working as a pianist in bars. In 1992, the famous Italian singer Zucchero saw him, who introduced Andrea to Pavarotti. After this, his life changed. Fame and money came to him.
Bocelli is married. His wife Enrique is 27 years old. They met in one of the small nightclubs where the blind singer made his living before becoming famous. The girl fell in love as soon as she heard his voice. She walked over and took his hand. Andrea's heart sank at this touch. And he immediately realized that he was in love. Now the couple jokes that it was love at first touch. They have two sons: 4-year-old Amos and Matteo, who is just one year old. They live near Pisa on the Tuscan coast, trying to lead a secluded lifestyle. Andrea loves her family very much and jealously protects them from media interference. Bocelli admits that he experiences his happiest moments when he is with his wife and children. For him, there is nothing better than returning home after a difficult concert and hearing his family’s voices, feeling the warmth of loved ones and taking his sons in his arms.
And yet, music occupies the main place in an artist’s life. She helped him survive a personal tragedy, and now gives him the opportunity to support his family and live a full life. The singer prefers classical music. He collected large collection records with recordings of opera parts and listens to them with pleasure in the morning when preparing breakfast for the whole family. At the same time, no one should enter the kitchen. Household members are allowed when the table is fully set. This is a whole ritual in the Bocelli house.
Andrea treats pop music with disdain. He does not hide the fact that he recorded the “Sogno” disc based on financial considerations. His acquaintances with Zucchero, Eros Ramazzotti and Celine Dion played an important role in this. He became friends with the Canadian diva last summer at a dinner party in Bologna. Within five minutes Andrea and Celine found mutual language, and an hour later the singer offered to record a song with her. Their duet “Prayer” became the beginning of work on the future disc.
But despite the colossal success of Sogno, Bocelli intends to limit himself to operatic works. His dream is to perform in Vienna Opera. He also really wants to learn how to cope with his explosive temper.
Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli was born in 1958 in Lagiatico in the province of Tuscany. Despite his blindness, he became one of the most memorable voices of modern opera and pop music. Bocelli is equally good at performing classical repertoire and pop ballads. He recorded duets with Celine Dion, Sarah Brightman, Eros Ramazzotti and Al Jarreau. The last one who sang with him was “The Night Of Proms”... Read all
Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli was born in 1958 in Lagiatico in the province of Tuscany. Despite his blindness, he became one of the most memorable voices of modern opera and pop music. Bocelli is equally good at performing classical repertoire and pop ballads. He recorded duets with Celine Dion, Sarah Brightman, Eros Ramazzotti and Al Jarreau. The last one who sang with him, "The Night Of Proms" in November 1995, said of Bocelli, "I had the honor of singing with the most beautiful voice in the world."
Andrea Bocelli grew up on a farm in the small village of Lajatico. At the age of 6 he began learning to play the piano, and later mastered the flute and saxophone. Suffering from poor vision, he became completely blind at age 12 after an accident. Despite his obvious musical talents, Bocelli did not consider music as a future career until he graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Pisa and received his doctorate. Only then did Bocelli begin to seriously study his voice with the famous tenor Franco Gorelli, simultaneously earning money for piano lessons in various groups.
Bocelli's first breakthrough as a singer came in 1992, when Zucchero (Adelmo Fornaciari) was looking for a tenor to record a demo of the song "Miserere", which he wrote with U2's Bono. Having successfully passed the selection, Bocelli recorded the composition in a duet with Luciano Pavarotti. After a worldwide tour with Fornaciari in 1993, Bocelli performed at the charity Pavarotti International Festival, which was held in Modena in September 1994. Besides Luciano Pavarotti, Bocelli also sang with Bryan Adams, Andreas Vollenweider and Nancy Gustafsson. In November 1995, Bocelli toured the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain and France with the production of "Night Of Proms", which also featured Bryan Ferry, Al Jarreau, Supertramp's Roger Hodgson and John Mays.
Bocelli's first two albums, Andrea Bocelli (1994) and Bocelli (1996), featured only his opera singing, while the third disc, Viaggio Italiano, featured famous opera arias and traditional Neapolitan songs. Although the CD was released only in Italy, it sold more than 300 thousand copies there. The fourth album Romanza (1997) featured pop material, including the hit "Time To Say Goodbye", recorded in a duet with Sarah Brightman, which was a great success. After this, Bocelli continued to develop a profitable pop direction, releasing his fifth album Sogno in 1999, which included a duet with Celine Dion, "The Prayer." Released as a single, this song sold 10 million copies in the United States alone, and for its performance Bocelli received Golden Globe Awards and was nominated for a Grammy in the “Best New Artist” category.
