By Abdulaziz Hammad

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — For the first time in Saudi Arabia, the historical city of Al-Ula will witness the world’s most famous tenor Andrea Bocelli perform on Feb. 1 in the Winter at Tantora festival.

The official website of the festival stated: “As one of the most famous operatic vocalists of all time, Andrea Bocelli is both an inspiration to millions and a legend in his own lifetime. Described as having the most beautiful voice in the world, the chance to see him in concert in this unique setting will be an absolutely unforgettable experience.”

When asked about the impact of this concert upon Saudi-Italian cultural relations, Italian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Luca Ferrari said: “The concert by Andrea Bocelli in Al-Ula reflects the thriving relations between Italy and Saudi Arabia. Everything about this event speaks about the strong cultural ties between our two countries and people.

“Bocelli is one of most famous Italian singers worldwide and he is very much loved in Saudi Arabia. The concert hall for the event – Maraya – has also been designed by an Italian company, reflecting the natural beauty of the region.

“Indeed, Al-Ula is a fantastic venue not only because of its beauty, its rich history and the hospitality of its people, but also because of the plans of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula, under the chairmanship of Prince Bader Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan and the guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince, to make it one of the top world tourism destination. It has an important legacy but it is also projected well into the future, in line with Vision 2030. And we are very much supporting it.”

Bocelli, a singer, songwriter, and record producer, is known as the tenor who has embodied the popular side of classical Italian music and opera for the past two decades.

Bocelli was born on Sept. 22, 1958. He recorded 15 solo studio albums of both pop and classical music, three albums, which were among the greatest hits, and nine complete operas, selling over 90 million records worldwide. He succeeded as a crossover performer, bringing classical music to the top of international pop charts.

He performed with the great Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti in 1992.

He captured a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records with the release of his classical album Sacred Arias, as he simultaneously held the top three positions on the US Classical Albums charts.

Bocelli was made a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2006 and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 2, 2010 for his contribution to Live Theater.

Running from Dec. 20, the festival already brought in several world-famous singers and musicians such as Renaud Capuçon, Majida El Roumi, Mohamed Abdo, Omar Khairat and Lang Lang. There was even a performance by the Egyptian classical legendary singer Um Kulthum by hologram technology.

On the sidelines of Winter at Tantora, Ambassador of France Francois Guyette admired the festival and went to the Piano to perform an authentic musical recital.