Paul Potts is coming to the Philippines! The unassuming mobile phone salesman who fascinated Britain with his rendition of Puccini's "Nessun Dorma" is going to have a concert in Manila on October 8 and I still can't get over the exciting news after seeing the TV plug a few hours ago.

For all of you who still haven't heard of Paul Potts, he is currently one of the world's most admired tenors not only for his voice but also for his inspirational journey. Bullied in school because of his looks, this son of a bus driver and a cashier relied on his voice as a source of comfort during those hard times. He eventually persevered on developing this talent by enrolling in opera in Italy from his savings as a mobile phone salesman. In June 2007, he joined "Britain's Got Talent", capturing the hearts of millions who watched the show and millions more after his audition video was posted on YouTube. That video has received more than 32 million hits to
date, one of the most popular in YouTube's history. Paul Potts eventually won "Britain's Got Talent" and the rest, as they say, is history.

The whirlwind success he achieved is something that he couldn't have imagined. Personal appearances in Europe and America, a multi-million selling debut CD and a worldwide concert tour followed. At first, he tried to hold on to his day job "to keep me grounded" but his string of commitments prevented him do so eventually.

I cried when I first saw his sensational YouTube video. His story and his performance touched me. I even made a post (Why Paul Potts Made Me Cry) about that experience. Paul Potts made the same impact on many who saw his performance. Many in the audience were seen shedding tears and most of the comments I received for that post described the same effect it had on them. The video, in fact, has been a constant source of inspiration for me, lifting me up when I needed a gentle push. (I am posting the video here for the benefit of those who haven't seen it).

Will Paul Potts again make us cry when he performs live in the Philippines more than a month from now? I sure hope he does.

Postscript: I am no opera fan. In fact, I haven't even been to the opera! But there is something about "Nessun Dorma" that fascinates me. The lyrics may be totally alien to me but there's something about its romantic and hauntingly beautiful melody that touches me. I first heard it in a movie many years ago and I've been playing it in my head ever since. And when I heard Paul Potts sing it in "Britain's Got Talent", I was even more hooked.

Paul Potts' Oct. 8 repertoire includes the hits from his “One Chance” CD such as “Nessun Dorma,” “You Raise Me up” (Por Ti Sere), “Time to Say Goodbye” (Con Te Partiro), “Amapola” and “My Way” (A Mi Manera), among others.

Read more: Paul Potts Wikipedia | Paul Potts coming to Manila | Paul Potts official website | Paul Potts at MySpace | Paul Potts at Sony BMG

If you like this post, then please consider subscribing to my RSS feed. You can also subscribe by email and have new posts sent directly to your inbox.

Paul Potts' Manila concert: will he make us cry again?

Recommended Reading

You may also want to check out the following:

My SideBar: Ads, Search Bar and Widgets

television round up

Popular Posts