ITALY: PAVOROTTI AND FRIENDS REHEARSE FOR CHARITY CONCERT IN AID OF AFGHANISTAN REFUGEES

Record ID: 391351

  • Title: ITALY: PAVOROTTI AND FRIENDS REHEARSE FOR CHARITY CONCERT IN AID OF AFGHANISTAN REFUGEES
  • Date: 27th May 2001
  • Summary: (REUTERS - PERFORMANCE CLEARANCES FOR RESALE) DEEP PURPLE REHEARSING "SMOKE ON THE WATER
  • Embargoed: 11th June 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MODENA, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVAO8DYKX62WTDCJMH6EPV8A0JH
  • Story Text: An amazing line-up of top international pop talent has gathered in Modena to rehearse for a concert with opera's biggest star, Luciano Pavarotti. The annual charity event, held in the Maestro's home town sees the stars team up to perform a mix of classical favourites and chart hits Held in aid of Afghanistan refugees, Pavarotti and Friends is a musical extravaganza with something for everyone.
    Pop, rock, jazz and soul fuse with opera to entertain a wide range of music lovers and give the stars a chance to try something different, and it's all in a good cause.
    Taking part this year's show is the original sex bomb, Tom Jones, who will be performing his classic hit Delilah, along with Pavarotti himself. Tom was glad that Pavarotti was keen to perform one of his hits, "...and it was easy for me because I know it, rather than me trying to learn something that he does because opera is a very specialised art form, I think you have to be trained in order to do that."
    Another veteran crooner who is joining the Maestro on stage is Barry White. These two big men with even bigger voices will be singing White's sexy hit "My first, my last, my everything" Performing with an opera singer is a new experince for White, , "Yes it was my first time, and his voice is just as big as mine, they are just different tones, mine is lower, he's a first tenor, I am a baritone bass, but when we put them together it comes out alright, it came out fine."
    George Benson feels that the song Pavarotti has chosen to sing with him, "The Greatest Love of All" reflects the mood of the concert perfectly, as the money raised will benefit the children living in refugee camps in Afghanistan, "Oh yeah, I feel a lot better about it since we went through the rehearsals, there is a lot of good acts on the show, very wonderful artists and many of them are my friends, but the song that he chose for us to do really relates to the charity itself, so it's a priveledged position to be in, and to sing with the maestro himself is just awesome."
    Adding a bit of rock and roll are Deep Purple, as well as their rock classic "Smoke on the Water", the band will be teaming up with Pavarotti for a rendition of "Nessun Dorma"
    " I have no intention of doing any special training, it's rock and roll meets opera head on, and the whole idea of these things is that people from all different walks of music come together and have a good time and you don't meet these kinds of people in the normal course of touring. We've had a good interesting couple of years, we did the Montreaux Jazz Festival a couple of years ago, we've toured John's concerto all over with national orchestras from Japan and South America, UK and all over Europe, and we've done a few benefits as well, and this one is weird but I love it, you know he's a very mischevious guy, he is a maestro, he is amazing, but he does like messing you around a bit.
    Other artists performing at Tuesday evening's (May 29) concert will include Celia Cruz, Anastacia, and Bond.
    Joining the stars will be a children's choir made up of youngsters from refugee camps in Afghanistan.
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