Andrea Bocelli: The Blind Tenor Who Sings With His Soul

In the past months as I traveled, with Max or by myself (as Philippine UNESCO Secretary General), to Madrid, Cebu, Tokyo, Hanoi and now Bohol, I carried along Andrea Bocelli’s autobiography Memoirs so I could write two columns and this pictorial article before Maestro Bocelli comes to Manila to do a concert at the Araneta Coliseum on April 30. My husband Max gets exasperated about my late night and early morning writing schedule focused on the Italian tenor. I told him that I want the Filipinos to understand and enjoy him. While following Maestro Bocelli’s life in Lajatico, his schooling in Reggio Emilia, Bologna, and Pisa, as well as his successful tours all over this lovely country, I felt the pleasure of reliving my life as a scholar in Italy.

Born with congenital glaucoma, 46-year-old tenor Andrea Bocelli may be blind, but he has taught the world to see the spiritual dimension of life. One of Bocelli’s most touching and popular song is The Prayer (La Preghiera) with Celine Dion. The original song is from the Quest for Camelot…

I pray you’ll be our eyes and watch us where we go,

And help us to be wise, in times when we don’t know,

Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way,

Lead us to the place, guide us with your grace,

To a place where we’ll be safe."

A Marvelous Fairy Tale

True to the Italian-culture of family love and affection in a musically oriented society, Andrea grew up in Lajatico, a small town in Tuscany near Florence nurtured by the full attention and care of his parents, relatives and friends who tirelessly encouraged his singing talent.

Winning the most important song festival of Italy, the San Remo Festival, catapulted him to the top of both popular and classical singers of Italy. His records sold everywhere in Europe, Especially in Germany, France and the Scandinavian countries. Sales in America soared and he broke the record of singers who do not speak English.

As Andrea Bocelli competed strenuously for the top of record charts all over the world, the Italian record company sent him on tours in Europe and America. He performed in theaters and concert halls, which offered him fees that made his head spin – he could not say "no" for he was always worried about supporting his family.

Married with two sons, Andrea no longer wanted to depend on his parents who generously provided for his special education from childhood to adulthood. They would carefully select the right school and get acquainted with his teachers. A wonderful mentor, who was a retired banker regarded highly by many, prepared and coached him to pass all exams at the Faculty of Law of the University of Pisa.

Andrea tried not to change his lifestyle. In his heart, he would always treasure his family and friends who always awaited his return home with immense banners, "Thank You For An Amazing Performance in San Remo…"

In Italy and elsewhere, pop singers and opera singers exclusively sing their own type of music so it is highly admirable of Maestro Bocelli to be able to sing modern music with the finesse and style of an opera singer, reaching the high notes of a tenor.

Orchestra ensembles with professional conductors accompanied him at a very young age. As he became popular, famous symphony orchestras sought him: Zubin Mehta of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra who did the CD of "Andrea Bocelli: Verdi," Vladimir Fedoseyev with the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra for "Andrea Bocelli: Viaggio Italiano," violin and orchestrator Lorin Zaazel with the London Symphony Orchestra for "Andrea Bocelli: Sentimento".

Both the Holy Father and the president of the United States, after hearing him for the first time, invited him back to perform again.

Bocelli Begins A New Chapter In Life

Andrea Bocelli’s Memoirs is a personal account of his life from infancy to school days, until he finished and practiced law for a short while. His successful entry into the world of great singers marked a chapter among great and popular singers since Caruso, Mario Lanza, and Pavarotti. In the epilogue, Andrea records in diary form how he felt about the inevitable changes in this period of fame and popularity.

"October 1, 1998, I depart with death in my heart, but I depart all the same, full of life and hope. I depart (referring to the US tour), without my family, a loss that makes me suffer much. But I carry Ettore with me, among the people I will meet…

"October 5, The American people seem to love me. At my concerts, the public is fantastic…that welcome sustains me. If they only knew my anguish, my silence, my loneliness…

"October 7, I sometimes have the unpleasant impression of having become a money making machine… I have become the center of great and competing interests.

"October 12, …arriving in Boston, I found an enormous crowd waiting in the airport and discovered that the authorities had proclaimed today Bocelli’s Day, a holiday in occasion of my concert.

"October 20, Tonight, I must sing, therefore I must remain all day here shut up in this anonymous hotel room. To ensure that my voice conserves all its harmonies, I shall stay quiet… It is better because I am tired. Tired of struggles, of contracts, tired of newspapers, which say whatever they want about me, tired of the critiques who turn their spiteful artillery fire against my success… forgetting that no one is repository of absolute truth.

In conclusion, let us sing together with Maestro Andrea Bocelli, La Preghiera:

Sognamo un mondo senza piu violenza

Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza

Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino

Simbolo di pace di fraternita

Let’s dream of a world with no more violence, a world of justice and hope. Each one, shake the hand of your neighbor, the symbol of peace and brotherhood. Let this be our prayer, just like every child. We need to find a place, guide us with your grace. Give us faith – so we’ll be safe.

Manila Concert Launches Asia 2004 Tour Of Bocelli

On April 30, Bocelli launches his Asia 2004 concert tour, Andrea Bocelli: Live in Manila, at the Araneta Coliseum. Arranged personally by the Padre Pio Foundation Chairman Rose Marie "Baby" Arenas, it is intended to raise funds for Mt. Pinatubo Hidden Temple Shrine Foundation’s literacy project for the Aetas and farmers of the four sitios of San Marcelino, for Bantay Banta’s assistance to abused children, for Philippine National Red Cross, as well as for Ephpheta Foundation.

ABS-CBN is the media partner and co-presenter of Bocelli’s first major Philippine concert. Maestro Bocelli will perform with Italian soprano Maria Luigia Borsi and conductor Marcello Rota. The 80-member Filipino Padre Pio Symphony Orchestra will play under conductor Rota’s baton.

Tickets are available at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Araneta Ticketron, and TicketNet. Posted ticket prices start at P500, P2000, P3000, P5000, P10,000 and P15,000.