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Il Divo - 20 facts you never knew
You might know Il Divo are made up of singers Urs Bühler, Carlos Marin, Sébastien Izambard and David Miller, but how much more do you know about the opera group? Discover 20 interesting facts about the chart-topping singers.
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1. International Roots
Il Divo are made up of Swiss tenor Urs Bühler, Spanish baritone Carlos Marin, French pop artist Sébastien Izambard and American tenor David Miller.
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2. Football World Cup
They recorded the official anthem for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, performing in front of an International audience of 1 billion people at the opening ceremony and World Cup Final.
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3. How many record sales?
More than 25 million album sales, 150 gold and platinum discs, and the only crossover classical album to reach the US Billboard No. 1 spot, Il Divo have made quite a name for themselves since they formed in 2004.
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4. Il Divo and Celine Dion
I Believe in You is the result of a collaboration between Céline Dion and Il Divo. There are two released versions of the song, one released on Céline's album, On ne change pas, and the other on Il Divo's, Ancora.
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5. David Miller's opera pedigree
David has a Masters Degree in Opera Theatre and has performed on Broadway in Baz Luhrmann's La Bohème.
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6. Opera and heavy metal
At the same time as studying at a music academy, tenor Urs was fronting a heavy metal band.
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7. Urs Bühler - early starter
As a five-year-old in Lucerne, Switzerland, Urs joined the local choir, and took lessons in violin, clarinet, piano, guitar and drums.
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8. Il Divo… in the White House
Prior to joining the group, tenor David Miller performed at the White House for President Clinton in 1998.
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9. Collaboration with... Eminem?
The opera four-piece have collaborated with Barbara Streisand and Celine Dion, but they've expressed a desire to work with US rap superstar, Eminem. Il Divo member Urs said: "I think working with Eminem would be something so different from anything we've done so far, but I can so imagine it if I listen to certain Eminem tracks."
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10. Carlos Marín - musical man
Baritone Carlos Marín has performed in several musicals, including Les Misérables, The Beauty And The Beast, Grease, and Peter Pan.
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11. Self-taught Sébastien Izambard
French singer Sébastien is the only self-taught musician in the group. He plays guitar and piano after learning the instruments by ear, and has produced for many other French artists.
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12. Sébastien the pop star?
Prior to Il Divo, Sébastien Izambard released an acclaimed pop album, Libre, and his single Si Tu Savais topped the French charts.
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13. Simon Cowell and the X Factor
There aren't many operatic groups who can boast of being inspired by the X Factor, but Simon Cowell decided to act on his operatic quartet idea when G4 came second on the reality show in 2004.
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14. Il Il Divo's YouTube Success
The group are almost as popular on the internet as they are in concert halls around the world. So far, their videos have received over 44 million views on YouTube - and counting.
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15. Inspired by Andrea Bocelli
The idea behind Il Divo came to Simon Cowell after hearing Andrea Bocelli singing Con te partirò while watching The Sopranos.
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16. Urs Bühler likes metal and motorbikes
Perhaps a career as a rocker would be equally appealing to boy-racer tenor Urs? "I love to play guitar and ride my motorbikes, I'm passionate about both," he said.
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17. Il Divo and Katherine Jenkins
The Il Divo boys announced they were touring with Katherine Jenkins for the first time in 2013, where they're set to perform all their greatest hits.
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18. The secret behind crossover success
David Miller revealed the group's success was something of an experiment, as the foursome played around with different styles. He said: "We had no map to follow - it was just trying to figure out: how do we use our voices, and how do we take these songs that the record company has given us to interpret, and how do we turn this into something that straddles two worlds at the same time but then has its own unique sound?"
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19. Il Divo on American Idol
The boys performed on American Idol as part of a charity show, raising money for children in the USA and Africa. For every vote cast, the show's sponsors donated money to good causes around the world.
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20. Pop or classical?
The boys have responded to critics by saying they use classical techniques, and sing in a dramatic style which is verging towards operatic. By blurring the boundaries between genres, Il Divo hope their audiences will focus on the emotional response to the music, rather than trying to fit it into a specific style.
