Andrea Bocelli is a famous Italian tenor. The boy was born in the small village of Lajatico, which is located in Tuscany. The parents of the future star were not associated with creativity. They had a small farm with vineyards.
Andrea was born a special boy. The fact is that he was diagnosed with an eye disease. The vision of little Bocelli was rapidly deteriorating, so he underwent emergency surgery.
After the operation, a long rehabilitation was required. In order not to go crazy with this, the boy often included records of various Italian opera performers. He could listen to classical music for hours. Unbeknownst to himself, Bocelli began to sing musical compositions, although initially neither he nor his parents took this hobby seriously.
Andrea soon mastered the piano on his own. A little later, the boy took saxophone lessons. Music and creativity fascinated the young Bocelli, but he did not lag behind his peers. Andrea liked to kick the ball in the yard. In addition, he was actively involved in sports.
Fight for the life of Andrea Bocelli
At the age of 12, Andrea suffered a serious head injury. This event served as a game of football and hitting the ball right in the head. Bocelli was hospitalized.
The doctors' diagnosis sounded like a verdict - a complication of glaucoma that made the child blind. However, this did not dampen Andrea's spirit. The boy continued to follow his dream. Then he already knew for sure that he wanted to become an opera singer. Bocelli soon returned to his usual way of life.
After graduation, the young man entered the law university. In addition, Bocelli took lessons from Luciano Bettarini, under whose guidance he performed at local music competitions.
Interestingly, Bocelli independently paid for his studies at the university. During his higher education, Andrea earned money by singing in local cafes and restaurants. Another teacher who helped Andrea master the art of singing was the famous Franco Corelli.
The creative path of Andrea Bocelli
The beginning of the 2000s is the creative upsurge of Andrea Bocelli. The performer recorded the musical composition Miserere, which fell into the hands of the famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti. Luciano was amazed by Andrea's vocal abilities. In 1992, Bocelli ascended to the top of the musical Olympus.
In 1993, Andrea received first prize at the Sanremo Music Festival in the Discovery of the Year category. A year later, he hit the top Italian singers with the song Il Mare Calmo Della Sera. This musical composition was included in Bocelli's debut album and became a major hit. Fans bought up the record in a million copies from the shelves of music stores in Italy.
Soon Andrea's discography was replenished with the second Bocelli album. The album was a significant success in Europe. The number of sales exceeded. This helped to become a collection of "platinum".
In honor of the release of the second album, Bocelli went to Germany, France, and the Netherlands with concerts. In the mid-1990s, the Italian tenor had the honor of speaking to the Pope in the Vatican and receiving his blessing.
The first two albums are the observance of all the rules of classical opera music. In the collections there was not even a hint of a departure towards other musical directions. Everything changed by the time the third album was released. By the time the third disc was written, the famous Neapolitan compositions appeared in the repertoire of the performer, who sang with his eyes closed.
Soon the discography of the Italian tenor was replenished with the fourth studio album, which was called Romanza. The record consisted of hit pop songs. With the track Time to Say Goodbye, which the young Italian performed together with Sarah Brightman, he literally conquered the globe. After that, Bocelli went on a big tour of North America.
Collaboration with other artists
Andrea Bocelli was famous for interesting collaborations. The man always had a great taste for good voices, so in the late 1990s he sang the musical composition The Prayer with Celine Dion, which later became a real hit. For the performance of the track, the musicians received the prestigious Golden Globe Awards.
Andrea's joint track with Lara Fabian deserved considerable attention. The performers pleased the fans with the song Vivo Per Lei, which left notes of warmth, tenderness and lyrics in the hearts of music lovers.
The Italian tenor performed compositions not only with celebrities. Andrea Bocelli gave the song Con Te Partiro to the young French singer Gregory Lemarchal. Gregory suffered from an incurable disease - cystic fibrosis. He died before the age of 24.
Personal life of Andrea Bocelli
The personal life of Andrea Bocelli is no less saturated than creative. The name of the Italian tenor often borders on provocation and intrigue. He definitely cannot be classified as a "heartthrob", but Bocelli himself admitted that it was difficult for him to resist beautiful women.
As a student at the law academy, the Italian tenor met his soul mate, who later became his wife. In 1992, Bocelli and Enrica Cenzatti decided to officially legalize their relationship.
A little later, there was a replenishment in the family. The woman gave birth to celebrity two sons - Amos and Matteo. It is noteworthy that the birth of the first-born coincided with an increase in the popularity of the Italian tenor.
Andrea Bocelli practically did not appear at home. More and more often he was on the road. The performer toured, gave interviews, attended music festivals and popular programs. He did not have enough time for his wife and sons. Some time later, Enrika filed for divorce. In 2002, the couple divorced.
But Andrea Bocelli, in spite of everything, could not stay alone for a long time (rich, successful, courageous and sexy), he soon met an 18-year-old girl named Veronica Berti. Initially, there were friendly relations between them, which grew into an office romance. Soon the couple signed and their daughter was born. Berti became not only a wife, but also the director of Andrea Bocelli.
There are real legends about the adventures of Andrea Bocelli. However, despite this, Veronica Berti has enough wisdom to save her family. In one of her interviews, the woman admitted that she did not feel the difference in age. They get along well with her husband and are on the same wavelength.
Andrea Bocelli in Russia
In the Russian Federation, Italian singers have always been touched, and Andrea Bocelli was no exception. The Italian tenor was immediately liked by the Russian public. Bocelli often visits the Russian Federation with his concerts, but even more often he comes to the country to visit his friends.
The first concerts of the performer took place in Moscow and St. Petersburg in 2007. And a few years later, Bocelli accepted with great pleasure an invitation from Gazprom to speak at a party that was dedicated to the anniversary of a large company.
Interesting facts about Andrea Bocelli
- In childhood, the boy was diagnosed with a congenital eye disease - glaucoma. Doctors warned the mother that the fetus had a defect. They advised her parents to terminate the pregnancy, but she decided to give life to the child.
- Sometimes music critics express the opinion that the songs performed by Andrea Bocelli are very "light" in order to correspond to a serious operatic genre. The singer is very calm about criticism, since he agrees with the opinion that his repertoire cannot be called "pure opera classics."
- The hobby of the Italian tenor is horseback riding. In addition, Bocelli loves football. His favorite football team is Inter Milan.
- At the end of the 1990s, People magazine included Andrea Bocelli in the list of the most beautiful people. However, the performer confidently noted that it would be better if he was appreciated for his voice than labeled, such as "Macho".
- In 2015, one of the main goals of the artist was fulfilled. The fact is that the Italian tenor recorded a Cinema disc, where soundtracks from his favorite films were collected.
Andrea Bocelli today
In 2016, the Italian tenor again came to the territory of the Russian Federation. There he met the singer Zara. Andrea highly appreciated the professional skills of the young performer, and then offered to perform several duets together at her Kremlin concert.
The stars performed such musical compositions as: The Prayer and Time to Say Goodbye, and also recorded a new duet La Grande Storia.
Andrea Bocelli is one of the best-selling singers of classical music and Italian music hits. Interestingly, the star prefers to spend most of her free time in her native village, surrounded by her beloved wife and daughter.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Andrea Bocelli had to cancel a number of concerts. In order to somehow support his fans, in April 2020, the Italian tenor gave a magnificent concert in the empty Milan Cathedral. The speech was broadcast online.
