Posted by leela on 2/20/2006, 8:58 pm Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, 48, just might be the most hated man in the opera world. Then again, having sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, he's also made the most headway in drawing pop fans into the symphony hall. His latest album, "Amore," which features his slick interpretations of heart-tugging European standards and includes big-time guests such as Christina Aguilera, Kenny G and Stevie Wonder, is certain to elevate his status even further. When we caught up with him, Bocelli was in the middle of a TV blitz that climaxes with a live performance of "Because We Believe" at the closing ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics next Sunday. Q: Celine Dion once said, "If God would have a voice, it would be that of Andrea Bocelli." A: She's very kind and she's a friend of mine, so this is very exaggerated, but I'm happy because I know she loves my voice and appreciates my job. She knows very well how much I study and how many sacrifices I do. For this I appreciate very much what she said. Q: If God had a voice, whom do you think it would sound like? A: It's difficult to say. All great voices are a gift of God, so everybody's voice is basically God's voice. All of these great voices have given all of humanity many great gifts at different points in time. So they all speak in the voice of God. Q: I think to be nice you were just supposed to say "Celine Dion." A: That would be granted. I wanted to say something new that you wouldn't expect. Q: Pavarotti sings with pop stars all the time, and no one says anything. But many opera purists don't like you and are probably going to like you even less after they hear you singing with Christina Aguilera. Do you think that's unfair? A: No, because I'm convinced it's not important what you sing but how you sing it. If you sing it with your heart, that is the most important thing.
This portion was taken from San Francisco Chronicle.
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