As it’s Christmas Eve we thought it appropriate to leave you with Christmas wishes and Andrea Bocelli’s version of Silent Night. It has the same melody as in English and the sense is the same - the hush of Christmas Eve and the birth of baby Jesus - but the words are in Italian, starting with “astro del ciel” or star of the sky. Buon natale from us here at BlogDolceVita.

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The grand and expressive voice of Andrea Bocelli has often seemed in contrast to his softly spoken manner. In a new book titled La musica del silenzio or “The music of silence” Bocelli has revealed how he became fully blind as a child in a banal occurrence which assisted in his move towards the world of music. Always diagnosed with glaucoma that prevented him from seeing colours and lights, his right eye always remained the healthier one.

He says in an interview:

I have always been outgoing and vivacious. As a boy I loved playing football and one day, during a game, a ball hit me in the right eye, the only one with which I could see light and colour. They tried to cure me through various operations, even using leeches, but nothing could be done.

With his football playing days over and being blind with a constant pain in his eyes, Bocelli reveals how he first came into contact with classical music. His mother discovered, that at the age of five her son Andrea could be calmed with a simple classical music record played and so one of Italy’s most famous singers came to his career.

Source | La Repubblica

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Andrea Bocelli’s new album My Christmas features some great Christmas classics favoured by the famous Italian opera singer. Bocelli sings “Silent Night”, “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” and even does a rendition of “Jingle Bells” with the Muppets.

The CD+DVD features extracts from Bocelli’s Los Angeles concert, and the album features duets with other artists: Katherine Jenkins in “I Believe”, Malika Ayane in “Blue Christmas”, Mary J. Blidge and Natalie Cole in “The Christmas Song”.

A particularly special track is that of a powerful rendition of the “Lord’s Prayer” featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and there is also a version of “God Bless us Everyone” which is part of the soundtrack to the film, A Christmas Carol.

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Italy’s walk of fame at Jesolo, Venice has inaugurated the hand prints of Sophia Loren during a special ceremony in piazza Brescia. Jesolo has a walk of fame along the seaside which includes famous names from Italian cinema, music and show-biz.

The names and handprints of famous Italians have been included along the walk since 2001, now called “Lungomare delle Stelle”, and Sophia Loren adds her name to Italian personalities such as Gina Lollobrigida, Andrea Bocelli, Katia Ricciarelli, Mike Buongiorno, Lino Banfi and Nancy Brilli.

Source | Zimbio

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Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli has been honoured with a star on the famous Walk of Fame in Hollywood. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce which every years choice the names of those who deserve to be elevated into legend has picked Mr Bocelli over other famous artists; Mr Bocelli whose career has been on the rise since his international debut in the 1990s (he has over the years sold more than 40 million records and got several Oscar and Grammy Awards nominations) is not the first Italian to be honoured with such a star, before him other big names such as Sophia Loren, Rodolfo Valentino, Enrico Caruso, Arturo Toscanini, Anna Magnani and movie director Bernardo Bertolucci got a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. By the way this year’s list includes Ringo Starr, Bryan Adams, Van Morrison, Russel Crowe, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth and James Cameron.

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The city of Rome has chosen its new ambassadors: actress Monica Bellucci , renowned for her beauty and dark looks, and opera singer Andrea Bocelli who has over his career sold more than 65 million records; the two will be in a new promotion video for the city showing Rome at its very best, but the big news is that the short movie will be directed by legendary film director Franco Zeffirelli. To refresh your memory of Mrs Bellucci, take a look at our photo gallery!

Monica Bellucci: ambasciatrice di Roma nel mondo

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“O sole mio” is one of Italy’s most famous songs, originally written in 1898 in the language of Napoli. It has since become a world renowned song, performed by operatic artists such as Enrico Caruso, Luciano Pavarotti (and The Three Tenors) and Andrea Bocelli.

The Italian song has sparked some more unusual versions as well, such as pop and rock re-mixes from Elvis Presley and Bryan Adams. Above, we give you O Sole Mio in its punk version, while after the jump you can hear it in its operatic tones with Caruso’s O Sole Mio, and that of The Three Tenors. For English lyrics to O Sole Mio, go to Wikipedia.

Continue reading: Italian opera song "O Sole Mio" in punk version

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Andrea Bocelli has released a brand new single from the famous and traditional Italian song “Torna a Surriento”. The song has inspired and moved people around the world and as soon as you hear the opening brass notes, you’ll recognise it.

“Torna a Surriento” or “return to Sorrento” has a popular myth behind it that it was created for an Italian post office. The story goes that the Minister Zanardelli was welcomed to Sorrento in 1902 with such fanfare, that the minister commissioned the song and promised to resolve some problems in the town, one of which was the lack of a post office.

The minister was so moved when he heard the song, that he promised a post office. The words to “Torna a Surriento” were ready in 1894, and are dedicated to a girl. The 1902 version, by Giambattista and Ernesto de Curtis, was a musical adaptation of the poem, and in 1904 the song was presented to the nation and started its journey throughout the world.

Andrea Bocelli sings “Torna a Surriento” on his new album “Incanto”. To listen to the song, go to Musica in anteprima on the Corriere site. Iconic Italian singer Bocelli gives an excellent interpretation of this nostalgic song that laments the separation from love, the sea and nature - only Italians do nostalgia this good.

Photo | Flickr

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Milan Fashion week began just a few days ago and the place is now rife with celebrities; here’s a roster of who sat in row one at the Roberto Cavalli Spring 2009 Fashion Show: Marisa Berenson, Andrea Bocelli, Kelly Rowland, Italian actress Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Nadege, Rosy Murphy, Cristina Parodi, Ryo Mori, Miss Universe 2007, Kawahara Aya, Eleonora of Yugoslavia, Elena Santarelli and Benedetta Mazzini

Continue reading: Milan Fashion Week: celebrities at Roberto Cavalli fashion show

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This is our second look at Italian love songs, after Alan Sorrenti’s “Tu sei l’unica donna per me”. One of the greatest international successes for an Italian song was born in an unusual way. “Vivo per lei” is a love song from Italy that was written and interpreted by the group O.R.O (Onde Radio Ovest). It was dedicated to a woman, but afterwards the tenor Andrea Bocelli and Giorgia reinterpreted it, with the “she” of the song becoming music. This version has since been sung in different languages, as seen in the videos below.

“Vivo per lei” or “I live for her”
ORO

Vivo per lei adesso che
Sento l’amore dentro me
Forte gridare al mondo….
Io vivo…

I live for her now that
I feel inside me
Strong, to shout at the world…
I live…

Continue reading: Love songs: "I live for her" or 'Vivo per lei" from ORO, Andrea Bocelli and Giorgia

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It’s been online for some weeks, but in this video from Phil Griffin, the latest Ramazzotti example “Ci parliamo da grandi” shows all the emotion transmitted by a verse that resonates with many of us.

Eros Ramazzotti is one of the best known Italian singers of recent years and a heart throb for many Italian women. He has also collaborated with international stars such as Ricky Martin, Laura Pausini, Andrea Bocelli and Joe Cocker. He is yet again convincing with his new single, as seen in this backstage video, published recently on the official YouTube Eros channel.

For more information on the singer and examples of his music, go to his official site.

Continue reading: "Ci parliamo da grandi", new video and backstage from Eros Ramazzotti

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New Zealand’s Tv3 visited Andrea Bocelli at his home in Pisa to discuss his planned summer tours: check his video interview or download&donate at the official Dare To Live ‘Vivere’ campaign website by Andrea Bocelli and Laura Pausini for Actionaid.

Via Classical X

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