Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2010

 The last time Italian pop and classical crossover star Andrea Bocelli visited Japan in 2008, he sold an astounding 50,000 CDs in three days. This time, the tenor arrives to help Tokyo FM celebrate its 40th anniversary in a one-off blowout with the Tokyo New City Philharmonic Orchestra. Born with glaucoma and blind by age 12, Bocelli took comfort in music, mastering a variety of instruments and winning his first singing contest two years later. Stardom came during the ’90s when Luciano Pavarotti recommended him to accompany Italian rock star Zucchero on tour. Bocelli’s 1994 debut album went platinum, and he’s since performed both opera and pop before audiences numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

Andrea Bocelli
Italian pop-classical tenor. Apr 28, 7pm, ¥11,000-¥32,000. Nippon Budokan, Kudanshita. Tel: Kyodo 045-671-9911.