Andrea Bocelli Performs Stirring Version of 'Hallelujah' With Tori Kelly

Feb 21, 2023 by apost team

Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist Andrea Bocelli has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the world since he started out as an artist. Despite Andrea having formed an illustrious career, he remained down to earth and went on to work with more artists. But what makes each of Andrea’s collaborations worth listening to or watching is he always puts his heart into them. In February 2022, he worked with another equally talented artist – this time with the amazing Tori Kelly.

Born in Lajatico, Italy, on Sept. 22, 1958, Andrea was plagued with vision issues from birth. By five months of age, he was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma, before becoming completely blind at 12 following a football accident. Showing a keen interest in music as a child, Andrea started piano lessons at the age of six and would go on to learn the flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar and drums.

Andrea won his first song competition at 14 when he sang “'O sole mio,” and would later perform in piano bars to earn money while he attended law school. He finished his degree and worked as a lawyer for one year before auditioning in 1992 for Italian rock star Zucchero's demo tape of his song “Miserere,” which would be sent to Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti. Upon hearing Andrea’s demo, Pavarotti convinced the rock star to use that version. Afterward, Zucchero was able to convince the operatic legend Pavarotti to perform the song with Andrea, and it subsequently became a hit throughout Europe. Andrea then signed to a label, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Andrea has managed to build his career over the period of nearly three decades and has worked with some of the biggest names in contemporary music, including Pavarotti, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Sarah Brightman, Ed Sheeran, Josh Groban, and even Jennifer Lopez and Ariana Grande. He also often performs with members of his family, who are all musically inclined. 

His eldest son, Amos Bocelli, whom Andrea had with his first wife Enrica Cenzatti, was born in 1995. According to Andrea's official website, Amos "has a degree in piano performance, but he also studied spatial engineering, and this is the field in which he is working to build a career." Nonetheless, he has worked on some of his father's recordings, credited as a piano player.

A second son named Matteo Bocelli, who was born in 1997, has followed more closely in his father's footsteps, setting out on a career as a professional singer. On his father's official website, Matteo was described as living and breathing music, having studied piano at the local conservatory, where he studied opera singing. 

But Andrea’s sons aren’t the only ones who have been gifted with a talent in music – in fact, he has another child – a daughter – who shares an equal amount of talent with him.

In December 2020, the musical maestro performed Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," but the rendition isn't an ordinary one — it's an extra special duet with Andrea’s daughter Virginia Bocelli. More than just a sweet father-daughter moment, the duet was truly touching and proved just why we people love Andrea so much – all while introducing his daughter as a talent to watch. Virginia was a mere 8 years old at the time, but with the beauty and control of her voice, you'd be mistaken for thinking she was much older. 

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Written in 1984 by Canadian musician Cohen, “Hallelujah” initially didn't receive a lot of acclaim until it was covered by musicians John Cale and, later, Jeff Buckley. It received a surge of popularity after appearing in the movie “Shrek” and has since then dominated the airwaves, particularly during the holidays. Overall there are over 300 different covers of the song. 

As Andrea geared up for the release of his upcoming music special called "The Journey: A Music Special From Andrea Bocelli," Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) dropped a snippet where he performed another powerful rendition of “Hallelujah” – this time with Kelly. 

While Andrea and Kelly previously shared the stage together to perform one of the former’s hits, “The Prayer,” the two took it to the next level by singing in the surroundings of historic Italian buildings. Their voices blended in harmony, with music pulsating through the air. But the performance was made even more magical thanks to the accompaniment of guitarists and backup singers.

In the video, Kelly wore a red pantsuit with a beige tank top. Andrea, on the other hand, wore a dark jacket with a grey scarf.

Apart from Kelly, Andrea’s children Matteo and Virginia also joined him in the documentary. Other artists who performed with Andrea in some of the most iconic spots in Italy for the special include Michael W. Smith, Tauren Wells, Katherine Jenkins, Clara Barbier Serrano, 2Cellos, 40 Fingers, TAYA and more.

The special, which has gotten an April 2023 release coinciding a week before Easter Sunday and the end of Lent, includes scenes where Andrea and his wife Veronica Berti traverse Italy’s Via Francigena, an ancient road traveled by pilgrims for centuries in the footsteps of the apostles and saints – a move Pope Francis has given his blessing to.

What do you think about Andrea Bocelli and Tori Kelly’s performance of “Hallelujah”? Let us know what you think, and pass this on to your family and friends who might find this story interesting!