Throwback Thursday!
It's Thursday and this means I'm dedicating my daily content to something from the past. This can be anything really, whatever comes to mind or whatever I want to share. Today's choice is a concert in Budapest I will never forget, namely Andrea Bocelli. I managed to arrange two free tickets for second-row seats simply by asking them if I could have tickets and writing a review about the concert. Receiving a yes as an answer to my bold request alone was amazing, but then finding out on the spot we sat on row 2 (expensive tickets) and being there in person throughout the concert was even better.
Music taste
All my life I listened to many types of music but there was about a decade in my life that was dedicated to visiting hardstyle festivals mostly. Let's call it being young and needing to release some energy, lol. That doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy listening to other music. For example, while I was working at a gas station, I truly enjoyed the 24/7 radio shows and many songs made me smile, sing along and even dance when nobody was watching, haha.
On top of that, you can add my mother's taste in music, for example, I've been listening to Lionel Richie and the Gypsy Kings during my childhood and I still like listening to these now. In fact, I'd love to see the Gypsy Kings live even though I can just recognize a few songs. This is the same for Lion Richie, I haven't been up to date about his music but only for his older songs, I'd see him if I have the chance.
Bucket list artists
Throughout the years, I collected quite a few of these artists that landed on my bucket list. Andrea Bocelli is not the most average one to land on the bucket list for someone my age I guess, that was very noticeable being at his concert and seeing the average age there. I don't feel ashamed for the fact that music touches me deeply sometimes and to say out loud that Andrea Bocelli is one of these people that can touch me even when I don't understand what he's singing. You have to feel the music, and when he sings, I do.
The waiting was half the fun
I listen to Andrea Bocelli for weeks in a row, going through all his Youtube videos, also with Ed Sheeran even know I knew he'd not be at his concert:
I listened to it so often that I can even sing along to the Italian part fully, I listened to it that many times. I knew there'd probably be some surprise act in terms of someone Andrea would sing a duet with, but didn't know who it was. I just enjoyed listening to his music for weeks and every time I did, I got so excited that I was going there for free in my own city (at the time Budapest) no need to travel for hours, just a 20-minute metro ride away.
Picking up the tickets
I received a letter which I needed to bring to the ticket box at the station and there I was handed over an envelope with two tickets. We fully expected to have bad seats, and were amazed that they gave me second-row seats to me for free! We had a special entrance for the first rows so we didn't have to wait as long as most people before seated either. The excitement was building while sitting there.
The moment Andrea entered the stage
Was magical in a way, I can't explain. I think most people feel some sort of connection with his music because he's blind and he manages to let the audience feel the emotions without him being able to look at people or making a show out of it. His singing, standing there, and seeing his facial expressions is enough. It's touching seeing him live I had many moments where I teared up or even cried a little, it was touching and an amazing experience. I still tear up listening back to the songs when I click on these videos.
Christine Allado
I never heard of her before but while entering the stage, she made me think of one of these singers that sing the theme song of a Disney movie and the whole world knows how to sing along that song. She has something angelic when you hear her sing, I learned she's a very kind person too as I spoke to her directly in DM at the time thanking her for her performance. I will include a solo performance of her from that evening as well:
The chemistry was real
There was another duet with another woman whose name I don't remember (sorry!) and the chemistry she had with Andrea was real. It was touching to see. I think everyone present at this concert was touched by the show and I also remember how cool it was to hear the live orchestra. I never saw this live and it's adding a nice touch to the whole concert.
Not an opera person
You'd expect me to love opera a bit when being so hyped about the Andrea Bocelli concert, which is not the case. I don't love every opera thing I hear, but I love Andrea's music, even those that lean more toward real opera performances than the duets he does. While prepping for his concert at the time, I learned he did so many duets with famous singers, and most of them are really good. It says something that all these pop artists are open to doing a duet with him, he's good at what he does. Simple as that.
One of the highlights of living in Budapest
This concert is part of my top 3 memories from living in Budapest for 4,5 years. I don't have many of these extremely cool highlights but this is part of one of the two musical highlights which I will never forget and wouldn't have wanted to miss for the world. It also made me remember that sometimes you have to be bold and just ask to get what you want, I surely didn't have the funds for this concert at the time but I had to try getting them, if I didn't do so, this experience would have never happened.
I will share my other musical highlight from my time in Budapest soon, as this was one for the books as well!
Thanks for reading!