Like father, like son

Matteo Bocelli

I have always been fascinated by India's culture, not just its music," explains 24-year-old Italian singer-songwriter Matteo Bocelli, son of legendary operatic tenor Andrea Bocelli, who will be visiting India for the first time this week to record a music video. "It's a love song which has been sung as a collaboration, with a mix of melodic elegance and beats of pop. I fell in love with the score the first time I heard it," he recalls, adding, "India is a new market that I've never explored - and it's huge! It's always an interesting challenge to express yourself to a new audience."

He shares that he has been surrounded by music since "I was in my mum's belly because my father was always around singing every day. At six, I started playing the piano, and that's where my relationship with music began. I learnt the instrument myself, and it soon became a close friend." He also recalls being very shy as a child, only mustering up the courage to sing in front of his mother or to himself. "I could never sing in front of my father. One day my mum asked him, ‘Have you heard Matteo sing?' So, I sang Romanza, and that's when he started to get curious about my voice. That led to me singing in front of my whole family and friends, and we are here today," he beams.

As a graduate of the Conservatory of Lucca in Tuscany, Bocelli made his debut on stage at 18 at the Colosseum in Rome alongside operatics Leo Nucci and Sumi Jo to sing Verdi. "For me, my starting point in the music industry was when I sang Follow Me with my father in 2018 while he was recording his album Sì. As always, he was receiving a lot of songs, and when I heard this one, I thought it was a beautiful score, but maybe a little too pop for my father. But, in any album, there's always room for one song that's a little different from your genre. I recorded it, and the label's producer heard it, and decided it would be perfect to have the two of us sing it as a duet. I was scared because that's when I realised music would no longer just be a passion… it would become something bigger for me. I'm enjoying every moment of it now!"

Today, his career boasts of performances with renowned artists such as Elton John and Steven Tyler, around the globe in iconic venues such as Madison Square Garden, the Hollywood Bowl and The O2, along with singing on TV shows such as Good Morning America, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Dancing with the Stars and The Kelly Clarkson Show. Last year, he also sang at the White House, where he was joined by artists such as his father, Norah Jones, Jonas Brothers and Camilla Cabello.

"I understand my experience hasn't been traditional - not every artist starts their career this way, so I feel very lucky. At the same time, it's also not been very easy, as I've always felt a deep responsibility to my father for being such a renowned and loved artist worldwide." After writing around 70 songs through his career, Bocelli will be distilling them into his first original solo album which he will be releasing at the end of the year.

He defines his musical style as a sum of all the experiences he's had along with the music that's influenced them along the way. "Celine Dion, Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston and The Beatles were constantly played at home, but I also listened to music from my generation. And, of course, there was always opera, which, to me, is the grandest form of performance on stage with storytelling. While I have a voice for pop ballads, I'm drawn to expressive, classical elements of music. Even when I write a song, it's very similar - a mixture of emotions with attention to technical details. It's a mixed-bag… maybe I'm a mess!" he jokes.

The one artist he's in awe of today is Ed Sheeran. "He's brought something new to the art of a performance, where, in his live concerts, it's just him and his guitar. I don't know anyone else who can entertain an entire stadium with just an instrument and nothing else. He's also a phenomenal songwriter - the way he writes his lyrics, he truly becomes a storyteller with each song. And, despite all of his success, he's a simple and humble person. The first time we met, he immediately made me feel like he's a friend."

A performance in India is also something Bocelli looks forward to, with a live show hopefully in 2023. He is also making his acting debut in a fantasy-romance film titled Three Thousand Years of Longing alongside Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton, which will release this year. While he remains tight-lipped about most of the details, he is curious about dabbling in Bollywood as well. "If, someday, I have a chance to get a part in a movie, I'd love it! As soon as someone calls me, and asks for me, I'll say yes!" he exclaims with an excited twinkle in his eye.