“I like to think about the future”

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s one of the most recognizable voices on the planet: Andrea Bocelli The tenor is loved across generations, cultures and borders. He is known to bring tears to tears with just three simple words: “Con Te Partirò” or in his English rendition, “Time to Say Goodbye.”

This year he’s celebrating 30 years of his career with a new collection, Duets, featuring both previously released and brand new collaborations of his most famous works, as well as some amazing modern covers, as well as the release of a new concert film, Andrea Bocelli 30: A Celebration,” which hits theaters Friday.

So why duets?

“I have loved voices since I was a child and I really enjoy sharing the stage with the best artists and voices. So, this album contains the best duets that I have recorded in my life,” he told The Associated Press. “From the first “Prayer” with Celine Dion, until the last, like “Perfect” with Ed Sheeran and many, many others. The album has been remastered and remastered. So I hope the sound gets better.”

He says, “The most important thing about voices… is to be recognizable, to convey emotion.”

It was an interesting collaboration with Sheeran because when Bocelli first tried to sing “Perfect”, the English singer-songwriter wasn’t a fan. “He didn’t like what I did because I sang in a pop style,” he recalls. “He wanted to listen to his voice, like in an operatic style.” So Sheeran went to Bocelli’s house in Tuscany and the song was changed: “He was right, because this song was a huge success.”

When asked if there is anyone he would like to add to the Duets collection, Bocelli, of course, replies, but “they passed away before I started singing. For example, I would really like to sing with Maria Callas or (Renata) Tebaldi or Magda Olivero. Lots of great, incredible singers. Unfortunately, they are no longer with us.”

For three decades of his career, Bocelli performed before presidents, dads and sold out stadiums around the world—in addition to selling nearly 90 million records worldwide, according to a press release. “The reality has exceeded my wildest dreams,” he says.

The way he reflects on this time should come as no surprise. “I like to sing about the future. To be honest, I don’t like to think nostalgically about the past,” he says. “My first time on stage, for me it’s like yesterday. Time flew by so quickly, so quickly. And, yes, now I like to think about the future.”

So what does he think will be his legacy in the next 30, 300 years? “In Italy there is a very famous expression: we will be judged by those who come after us,” he says through a translator. “That’s why I can’t force people to judge. But I feel that my audience is very attached to me, and that is my goal. When someone on the street comes up to me and says, ‘Thank you for your voice, for your music,’ I think mission accomplished.”

In Duets, Bocelli sings in Italian, English, French and Spanish. “There are many languages, but it is so difficult. I remember the day I tried to sing in Chinese, just a few lines, but it was so hard for me,” he laughs.

He also performs in a variety of genres, working with everyone including Latin superstars such as Karol J. And Jennifer Lopez country musicians such as Chris Stapleton And Shania Twain. “I’d like to try singing jazz,” he says. “But for me it’s too difficult, because you need to live in an atmosphere, learn step by step, day by day. I like jazz, but it’s too far from the experience of my life.”

There’s little he hasn’t done over the past three decades, but the ultimate goal now, he says, is steeped in faith. “I was very lucky and I won the love of people. Now I must try to earn God’s favor. It’s more difficult.”

But he will continue to perform for those who love him. Bocelli’s US tour kicks off on December 4 in San Diego and will run for a month before resuming in February and June 2025. The final concerts will take place in Napa Valley, California on June 21 and 22.