It's fitting: Urs Bühler (45), prominent Swiss member of the internationally successful singing quartet "Il Divo", has fallen in love. With his new show "Amor & Pasión", the charming heartthrob with the melody in his voice is coming to the Hallenstadion Zurich on June 3 - and showing a whole new side of himself on stage.
Grüezi Mr. Bühler, after two months in South America and Asia, you are now on tour in Europe with your new show "Amor & Pasión". How is it going so far?
I am very, very pleased with how our new program "Amor & Pasión" has been received. There were a lot of critical comments beforehand because the voice has always been at the center of our programs - now we have dancers with us for the first time, we play instruments ourselves and there is a huge show on stage. But the audience is thrilled, and we're having a lot of fun ourselves!
You are among the dancers: in "Amor e Pasión" you and your three singing colleagues Sébastien, David and Carlos are also on stage as dancers for the first time - you dance salsa, tango, mambo and cha cha cha - how well does that work?
Oh, it works very well, and above all it's great fun. To be honest, all four of us would like to be great dancers... We took tango lessons in Buenos Aires in November, which was fantastic, tango is a very beautiful and sensual dance.
Is it difficult for you to sing and dance at the same time?
Yes, it is indeed difficult! But what the four of us do as dancers is rather rudimentary, there are still professional dancers on stage... it's a really great show! But when we sing, it's really hard work - that's why we mainly dance a few steps when we have a break from singing.
You recorded your new album "Amor & Pasión" with Julian Reyes Copello, a Latin American producer who also works for Jennifer Lopez and has already won a Latin Grammy Award. How was the collaboration?
I loved working with Copello right from the start. He is a well-rounded, musical personality, and also a great classical pianist! When we first met, he picked me up exactly where I was coming from and totally surprised me: the first thing he talked to me about was the great opera singer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. That really impressed me. We all immediately found the right musical points of contact with him. And the new arrangements are great, different from before and musically very interesting.
The four of you have been on stage with Sébastien, Carlos and David for years - do you go out together after the shows?
We really are a bit like a family. We've become very close over the years and get on well together, despite our different personalities. But what's really important with this closeness and intensity of working together is to take your own space, look after yourself and take time for yourself.
A Propos take good care of yourself: Do you have time to work out during the tour?
Yes, I simply make time for fitness. I actually try to do one hour of fitness training a day, then I feel good and can look at myself in the mirror.
In your new show "Amor & Pasión", each of you sings a solo for the first time - what do you sing?
I sing "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" from the operetta "Land des Lächelns" by Franz Léhar. And that gives me particular pleasure, because this song shows my musical roots - I studied classical singing in Amsterdam and sang many German and French operettas, among others, before my time with Il Divo.
Can we look forward to a classical album from you soon?
I would love to sing a classical repertoire and I have already talked about it with friends and producers. But time is very short due to the tour with Il divo. We have a break in July and August, so I would have some time to plan such a project. But at the moment it would be purely a hobby and I wouldn't want to market it commercially from the outset.
Would you generally like to sing more purely classical music?
I've never made a secret of the fact that classical music is my great passion. But you see, we reach far more people with Il Divo than with a Bach oratorio - and we make them happy, which I see as a great privilege. We always notice this when we meet our audience in person, at the meet and greets. People tell me how much our music has helped them to get through difficult moments in their lives, such as beating cancer, and that is very touching. But basically it's just great fun to sing with Il Divo.
You live in Andorra and are on tour for months at a time - do you miss your home country, Switzerland, from time to time?
Yes, of course I miss Switzerland. But I will soon have the opportunity to visit my family again. Before our concert on June 3 at the Hallenstadion in Zurich, we will be performing in Linz, and I will be traveling to Willisau overnight right after our concert so that I can spend as much time as possible with my family. My sister has just had a baby, which makes me particularly happy.
How are you doing in your private life?
Thank you very much, I'm doing very well. I have a very nice life, which is a great privilege. And I'm also newly in love.
Oh, may we know with whom?
Yes, I've fallen in love with an enchanting dancer. We're even on tour together at the moment, because she's dancing in our new show. It was love at first sight and I'm very happy.
IL DIVO
03.06.2016, Hallenstadion, Zurich
TICKETS
