Andrea Bocelli performs at BankAtlantic Center on Valentine's Day

By Hart Baur2/11/2012

Andrea Bocelli, the Italian tenor extraordinaire who has brought a little bit of rock star to opera, will be performing Tuesday night at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise. Bocelli, who is legally blind and began singing at the age of 10, has often said, “I don’t think one decides to become a singer. It is decided for you by the reaction of those around you.” And the reaction around him has been over the top since he burst onto the world music scene in 1993 as Macduff in Verdi’s Macbeth at the Teatro Verdi in Pisa. It was there that Bocelli reconnected with his Catholic faith, which today plays an important part of his life. We caught up with Bocelli before his Valentine’s show.

What can fans expect – anything special for Valentine’s Day?

My aim is to take that eternally beautiful repertoire, which is traditional of the Italian tenor around the world. It spans from operatic arias to great ballads and Neapolitan melodies as well as a few other selected pieces that people associate with my voice.

How has your career changed with your success?

I realize that I do not fit the image that people have of the eccentric and extravagant star, but I prefer to use my time to work on interesting projects and to make myself useful to society rather than shocking it.

Do you have a favorite piece to perform, one that just gets you?

There are many pieces that I like to perform: one of my favorite is My Way: it is an extraordinary song in terms of balance and coherence, between music and words; it has a wonderful melody and is deeply true. Sinatra completes this work of art with his voice.

What advice would you give to young singers who are interested in opera?

The first piece of advice is to check things out in practice to establish whether a great love of singing is in effect the result of a true talent. It must be others who ask and beg you to sing and not you who beg others to listen. If you have a great love of singing, supported by others’ fondness for your voice, then it is worth making every effort, of making every sacrifice, to achieve your goal.

 Andrea Bocelli performs at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise.

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