Il Divo

Il Divo is a British classical crossover and operatic pop group formed in 2003. The line-up consists of Carlos Marín, Urs Bühler, Sébastien Izambard and David Miller. The group is based in the United Kingdom and records for Syco Music.

Formation and concept

The project begins after Simon Cowell hears Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman performing “Con Te Partirò” and decides to create a multinational vocal quartet with a pop orientation. The group is built around singers from different countries: France, Switzerland, Spain and the United States. Cowell searches for singers over a two-year period before Miller joins in December 2003 and the line-up is complete.

The name Il Divo is Italian for “divine male performer”.

Members

Carlos Marín is a Spanish opera and zarzuela baritone. Sébastien Izambard is a French pop singer. Urs Bühler and David Miller are classically trained tenors, from Switzerland and the United States respectively.

Recorded work

The group’s first album begins recording in Sweden in 2004. Its self-titled debut includes versions of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way (A Mi Manera)”, Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart (Regresa a Mi)”, Ennio Morricone’s “Gabriel’s Oboe”, adapted as “Nella Fantasia”, and the San Remo Festival-winning song “Passerà”. The album also includes songs in Spanish, English, Italian and Portuguese, including “Volta Pra Mim”.

After a performance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2005, the debut album reaches number one on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. It tops the UK chart and becomes a number one album in 13 countries, with top-five positions in 25 countries.

The second album, Ancora, is recorded in Sweden and London with producers Per Magnusson, David Kreuger and Steve Mac. It includes “Isabel”, “I Believe in You”, a duet with Céline Dion, and a cover of Eric Carmen’s “All by Myself” as “Solo Otra Vez”. Two of its tracks, “O Holy Night” and “Ave Maria”, also appear on the US-only Christmas Collection.

Other notable work

Il Divo performs the official song for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, “A Time of Our Lives”.