Andrea Bocelli says stage fright is in DNA
Andrea Bocelli reveals he still suffers from stage fright, 20 years into his singing career, and he believes he always will.
"I think that stage fright is actually in your DNA ... there's nothing you can do about it," the opera singer told AAP.
"You just have to learn to live with it," he said.
Bocelli has sold 80 million records worldwide since he began his recording career in 1994, but still has physical reactions before he performs on stage.
"Essentially I get a sort of tachycardia, like palpitations, cold hands, this kind of physical phenomenon," he said.
The Italian opera singer will be in Australia and New Zealand in September to perform six concerts which will be divided into two parts. Bocelli will sing classical opera arias and songs in the first part and then songs from his latest album Passione in the second part of the show.
"Passione is a collection of great songs from pop music that have made my ears happy," he said.
As a university student, Bocelli played piano in bars "to earn some money" and the love songs he sings on his latest album are all songs he performed during that time.
He said it was easy choosing the songs for the album which include such diverse tracks as Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender and the Edith Piaf classic, La Vie en Rose.
Bocelli chose songs he felt lasted the test of time.
"The big masterpiece songs will never be forgotten and so the difference between a masterpiece and what is not a masterpiece is the duration over time. A masterpiece can be loved and can be handed over through all the various generations," he said.
Speaking of masterpieces, Bocelli also admits he never gets tired of singing his break out hit, Time To Say Goodbye - a duet with Sarah Brightman which gave him a pop No.1 around the world in 1998.
"The fact that people really loved this duet and the enthusiasm that arises for this song keeps me from getting bored," he said.
"Even if personally I like to look for new things and sing new things, there's no way I can get bored when the audience is very enthusiastic."
The singer describes music as a "natural element" and something he feels he needs in order to live, but another passion he has is wine making.
He comes from a long line of winemakers and sells Bocelli Family Wines, but recently he's signed up to work on a new wine project.
Tuscan wine makers Frescobaldi are producing wine made by prisoners, and initiative to help them with employment opportunities on release, and Bocelli supports the project with his name appearing on the labels.
"The idea of being involved in an initiative that would involve people who have not been so lucky in their lives ... I really like this idea, of helping these people," Bocelli said.
Yet, the singer stems this passion for wine when he's preparing for a concert, comparing the preparation of an opera singer to that of an athlete.
"As it happens with a lot of sports people, I have to give up wine and alcohol generally speaking - everything that can mean abuse of some sort," he said.
"Sweet cakes, they will make your digestion heavier, all these things."
The singer has a two-year-old daughter called Virginia who will travel with him when on tour, and he revealed she has already developed her own musical taste.
"She actually torments me because all she ever wants me to sing is the famous Neapolitan song Funiculi, Funicula because this is a very happy song," he said.
Andrea Bocelli's Australian and New Zealand tour dates:
September 11- Auckland Vector Arena, Auckland
September 14 - Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
September 16 - Sydney Allphones Arena, Sydney
September 18 - Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
September 21 - Melbourne Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
September 24 - Perth Arena, Perth
