01 February 2012 |
French pop singer Sebastien Izambard knew he was taking a gamble by being a founding member of the multinational operatic group Il Divo.
“I knew that the concept would either be ingenious or it would be a complete flop,” he laughs.
Having sold more than 26 million albums and boasting more than 150 gold and platinum awards in 33 countries, it is more than fair to say that the quartet has achieved the former option.
“Worldwide, we have been lucky that our music has been easily accepted, no matter what songs we perform,” Izambard says.
“The idea of four lyrical voices from different nationalities serenading the world seems to have worked pretty well,” he says.
Il Divo are not the first opera singers to grace the world’s stages.
Are their differing backgrounds a driving force in the more than 33 countries where they have been awarded with accolades?
“Most definitely,” says Izambard.
“We all bring such differing views to what classical music should be, that, in many instances, it ends up being far removed from what is generally accepted as classical music,” he says.
“But this gamble is exactly what makes us who we are and our fans know exactly what to expect from us.”
The group’s South African fans know exactly what they will get once the singers get on stage, with a mix of old tracks from previous albums like Il Divo and Voices, but what do the singers expect from local audiences, who last saw them on local stages in 2008?
“If our previous tour is anything to go by, we expect to be excited by the crowds. We discovered just how upbeat this country is, and that spurs us on while we perform,” Izambard says.
To borrow a phrase from Justin Timberlake, Il Divo brought sexy back into classical music, and this is something that is difficult to bring across on a studio album. Does this mean the group prefers performing live, rather than being in Simon Cowell’s recording studio?
“When we record, we are isolated from the rest of the world and we just focus on bringing out a quality product. Being on tour is the opposite of this,” Izambard explains.
“Very few things are as exhilarating as performing for a live audience. This is the chance we have to see what our fans think of our music, what they do with it and just how much they take to it.
“We use tours as opportunities to be in contact with the fans, to feel their energy, and to feed off this and give them a memorable experience.
“There is so much emotion at our performances that it becomes breathtaking,” Izambard says.
Is the word “emotion” Il Divo code for beautiful women who are more than willing to throw themselves at the singers?
“We enjoy our music differently from other groups too, as we use our eyes to savour it. And of course the music we sing is conducive to the ladies appreciating us.
We love being seduced, so much so that we would worry if that did not happen,” Izambard grins.