Il Divo

• Genre: Vocal
• Hometown: London
• Il Divo Website

About

Il Divo is a preternaturally handsome five-man multinational team of operatic male pop vocalists. The idea for this outfit was born when snappy "American Idol" celebrity Simon Cowell heard a recording of Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman singing "Con Te Partiro" in 2001. Realizing he liked operatic vocal style but not the repertoire, Cowell set about to create a classically trained vocal group that would sing the types of pop songs and love ballads commonly played at weddings. To further class up these pop songs, they would be translated into Italian, Portuguese or Spanish. In December 2003, American tenor David Miller became the completing member of the ensemble, which includes Spanish baritone Carlos Marin, French pop singer Sebastien Izambard and Swiss tenor Urs Buhler. Their multiplatinum self-titled debut album was No. 1 in 13 countries. Their Christmas Collection was an America-only release and their second worldwide charting album, Ancora, was released in November 2005, featuring a duet with Celine Dion.

- Daphne Carr