The blind voice who sees through God’s heart
God’s blind voice…
“If God had a singing voice, he would sound a lot like Andrea Bocelli” were Celine Dion’s words for him. And life never spared any pain and pleasure from Andrea Bocelli.
An achieved artist, world-famous in pop, opera and classic music, Andrea Bocelli is unarguably one of the most important musicians alive. We owe his existence to his mother, who, despite warnings from her doctors that her child would be born with disabilities, abstained from abortion.
HIS TROUBLES BEGAN IN THE WOMB
In 1958, Alessandro Bocelli and Edi Bocelli, a wine-manufacturing couple in Lajatico, a small settlement in Toscana, were thrilled when they heard that they were having a child. But alas, Edi had an appendicitis problem in the fourth month of her pregnancy, and had a medical treatment which impacted the baby’s health. Physicians told the Bocelli couple that their child would probably be born with physical or mental disability, so they recommended abortion even though it was forbidden in those years in the Catholic Italy. Edi, called a “brave woman” by Andrea Bocelli, denied this and wanted to have her child no matter the consequences. On September 22nd in the same year, Andrea Bocelli was born to our world. The little Andrea looked completely fine, but it was later understood that his eyes were not right, and that he would lose his sight over time.
HE FOUND PEACE IN HORSES
His mother realized his fondness for music when he was very little. Paying very close attention to the classic music that Edi put on the radio, Andrea was already telling the world that he was an extraordinary child. When he was only 5-6 years old, he would listen to his selection from a classic music record collection, and accompanied the music he heard. Every time his religious family took him to the church he would sit at the organ and completely improvise astonishingly beautiful music. When he became nine he had already memorized every opera there was, but he was also slowly losing his sight. His family signed him into a remote boarding school so he could receive good education. There in that school he would sneak into the piano room to play the piano. When he was 12 he left his boarding school and came back home, because he lost his sight completely. In the same year he attended a music competition, thanks to a coincidence where his mother happened upon the announcement.
When he came back to their farm, he had a brand new passion: Horses… which gave him peace and rest. He was determined, he’d prevent blindness from holding him back from life. He asked for a strong horse from his father. He became the trainer for the one-year old horse that was given. He fell from it many times, but every time he fell down, he knew how to get back up.
HE STUDIED LAW, NOBODY KNEW HIM TILL HE WAS 35
Studying law in Pisa University, Bocelli was a lawyer for a short time. But his real passion was music. He played at piano bars where his mother always strived to draw more customers. The money he earned, he spent for training his voice for music. And his fate would change with rock music.
In 1992 the Italian rock star Zucchero set up Bocelli to accompany Luciano Pavarotti in his demo track “Miserere”. Bocelli’s breakthrough was about to occur. A complete stranger at 35 years old, Bocelli astonished Pavarotti. For this very reason Bocelli never looks down upon music genres such as pop and rock. Two years later he came first in the Sanremo Music Festival, clinching his fame.
A TRUE OPTIMIST
He topped music charts for six months in many European countries with his song “Con te Partiro” (Time to Say Goodbye), which would bring him international glory. The song’s English version, where he performed a duet with Sarah Brightman, topped the charts again in many countries for weeks, his album sold millions. His albums already sold more than 100 million copies.
He defines himself as “a true optimist”. He thinks that life gave him many presents, material and spiritual, and the most prized of all is the peace and happiness he found within himself. His life’s motto is to never give up and stay optimistic.
He married twice, he has three children. He can’t repeat enough, that family is the most valuable present given to him.
As his mother said, life never spared pain or please from him. He chose to be one of those who see through their hearts.