I had a roommate at university back in the 70s who was an opera major. Because of her I developed an appreciation for opera music. Because of my late husband I was introduced to the voice of Andrea Bocelli. For a birthday gift he gave me the album Romanza. I love it when singers known for their operatic voices cross over into the pop music genre and perform hit songs. His blend of opera and pop is unique.
AndreaBocelli is an award-winning tenor. His singing voice has been described as “The World's Most Romantic Voice” and as “The World's Most Beloved Tenor”. Both descriptions are accurate. Another excellent description is per his official Twitter account: "His voice as easily recognised as a signature, its mellow yet powerful tones resonate from 70 million records sold."
Bocelli performs wonderfully singing solo. However, his collaborations with artists are also very impressive. In fact, his collaboration with Italian pop star Zucchero Fornaciari to sing “Miserere,” is what he put him on the music map. That song was intended to be sung by another renowned tenor, Luciano Pavarotti. Even Pavarotti was impressed with this unknown tenor's voice.
Bocelli also collaborates with artists that you would probably never pair him with. For example, Mary J. Blige is an American singer and people call her the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul". I would have never thought that Andrea Bocelli would have collaborated with Mary J. Blige. But he did and the end result was magical! They got together and performed a duet for his Christmas album. He has also collaborated with Ariana Grande, Christina Aguilera, Jamie Foxx, and Stevie Wonder.
Andrea Bocelli was born September 22, 1958, in Lajatico, near Pisa, Italy. He lost his sight at age 12, but his lack of sight did not deter him. He attended university and studied law. He practiced law and after working as a state-appointed attorney, he made a major career change and decided to get into music. The entertainment world is very glad he did!
Check out these performances:
Zucchero, Pavarotti AND Bocelli, Miserere (Rare version)
