ITALIAN tenor Andrea Bocelli, one ofthe handful of tenors responsible for makingopera a sweeter pill to swallow forlegions of pop-music fans, will sing in SanJosé Jan. 23.His director and a soprano will beamong his entourage, and the Costa RicanNational Philharmonic Orchestra willaccompany him.The concert will be one of Bocelli’sstops on his tour to promote his newestalbum, “Andrea,” released Nov. 9.The recording features guest appearancesby flamenco fusion avatar the GipsyKings from the south of France and 12-year-old U.S. soprano prodigy Holly Stell,as well as tracks written by pop songwriterGuy Chambers and Latin pop star EnriqueIglesias.The album, which is more pop thanclassical, should secure Bocelli’s rankingamong the foremost crossover artists in theworld, a distinction that has thrilled somelongtime fans and disappointed others.Online album reviews vary between bothextremes, skipping any middle ground.BOCELLI’S musical career is studdedwith album sales in the tens of millions,with a list of golds and platinums fromaround the world too long to mention. Hehas performed before some of the world’smost prominent figures, including PopeJohn Paul II, the last two U.S. Presidentsand the Queen of England, to name a few,and he has sung duets with U.S. pop starCeline Dion and fellow Italian tenorLuciano Pavarotti.His 2001 album, “Cieli di Toscana,”sold millions in its first weeks, earning it thenumber-one spot on the CNN World-beatGlobal Album Chart – the biggest sellingalbum in the world at the time.BORN in 1958, Bocelli grew up on hisfamily’s farm among vineyards and olivegroves in rural Tuscany, where his fatherstill makes small quantities of the wine,Chianti Bocelli.His musical career sputtered to lifeafter law school and a one-year stint as acourt-appointed lawyer. He paid for voicelessons from famous tenor Franco Corelliby playing nights in piano bars and clubsbefore he was discovered by Italian rocksinger Zucchero.He met Pavarotti through Zucchero,who had recorded a duet with the tenor.Soon after, the two tenors sang at one ofPavarotti’s annual charity gala concerts,where Bocelli’s voice launched him intostardom.For info on the singer, includingalbums, photos, news and a complete biography,visit www.andreabocelli.com.The concert will be held in the RicardoSaprissa Stadium in Tibás, the district northof San José, at 5 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 23.Ticket prices range from $55-295, with discountsand financing available toCredomatic cardholders. To purchase tickets,call 206-7700.
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