Andrea Bocelli's son Matteo Bocelli on the vulnerability of working on his solo album and his father's legacy

Matteo, who was in Mumbai to record a new song, Amore, speaks to us about his music and heritage
Matteo Bocelli
Matteo Bocelli

Matteo Bocelli is only 24, but the gravity of his father Andrea Bocelli’s legacy rests on his shoulders. “We have very different styles,” he says about his father, the 63-year old legendary tenor. Although he has been learning piano since the age of six, the Tuscan native caught the world’s attention in 2018, when he appeared in a music video with the senior Bocelli titled Fall On Me. Now, with a new solo album in the works under Capitol Records, the young Italian opera singer is ready to take on the industry. Matteo, who was in Mumbai to record a new song, Amore, speaks to us about his music and heritage.
 
Matteo tells us that his father has always been very supportive of his career choices. The singer, who has shared the stage with names such as Elton John and Steven Tyler, says “To be honest, he didn’t expect any of us to follow him into the music industry so it was a nice surprise. It’s been wonderful to perform with him in the past. Of course that can be challenging, but he’s given me the most incredible platform to begin my career while allowing me the space to choose my own direction.” Andrea Bocelli, who suffers from glaucoma which left him completely blind by the age of 12, is a multi-hyphenate with several Grammy and Academy award nominations. 

Going solo
Working on his own solo album has been liberating for Matteo in many ways. “When working solo, you have to make yourself feel vulnerable in front of the world. There’s no one else to hide behind now. It’s all on me! Whatever you put out into the world is going to be seen and judged by everyone so it’s nerve-wracking. But I believe nervousness is a good sign — if you’re not nervous it probably doesn’t matter that much to you,” shares the artiste who has also modelled for Guess along with Jennifer Lopez.

So far, Matteo has released four songs — Solo, Close, Dimmi (in Italian) and Dime (in Spanish). he pop ballads are characterised by soft guitar-driven melodies and Matteo’s soaring vocals. The tracks are a part of over 80 songs that Matteo wrote in the past three years. “My music comes from the heart, but there’s also a sense of fun and lightness to it,” he adds. 

Matteo with his father Andrea Bocelli
Matteo with his father Andrea Bocelli

Mumbai calling
This is the Italian singer’s first trip to India and he is very excited. “It’s been an amazing, sensory experience so far. India for me is a beautiful country that represents culture, history, and tradition in its finest form. On my brief trip, I’m looking forward to trying out local cuisines, meeting like-minded people from the music and entertainment industries and visiting some iconic landmarks in and around Mumbai,” he enthuses. Although this project is under wraps, we know that Matteo was here to collaborate on a song with pop stars Sukriti and Prakriti Kakar titled Amore. “Indian music is so exciting right now – I had the pleasure to collaborate with two great artistes,” he says. The theme of the song, which is composed and produced by Amaal Malik, is heart-break and love. It is mixed by Justin Bieber’s engineer and multi-Grammy award winner Josh Gudwin. Matteo shot a fun music video with the duo in India. It is expected to be out later this year.

Screen time
However, that’s not all that is in the pipeline for Matteo. He is also transitioning to acting, and rumour has it that he will make his acting debut in epic fantasy romance film Three Thousand Years of Longing by George Miller (the director of the Mad Max series) alongside names like Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton. He is tight-lipped about the project, but he does divulge a little. “I can’t say too much about it right now, sadly. What I will say is singing has always been second nature to me – I’ve always known exactly what is expected of me in that world. Acting was a completely new experience, so I was very nervous, but it felt truly immersive. I had the privilege of working with some incredibly talented and supportive people – it was an exhilarating experience,” he signs off.  

 anagha@newindianexpress.com 
@anaghzzz

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