Starting from 1990,  Zucchero began an intense collaboration with some great artists, such as Sting, Joe Cocker and Eric Clapton, attempting to conquer the rest of Europe. He had a big worldwide hit with “Senza una donna” (“Without a woman”), in a duet with Paul Young. More duets will follow from that experience, again with top international artists such as Sting, Elton John, Eric Clapton and Brian May.
In 1992, Zucchero starts an original project by combining pop-soul music with opera. The result is “Miserere“, a song in which he duets with great tenor Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007). It is said that, an initially reluctant Pavarotti was convinced to join the project after he heard a test recording with a still unknown Andrea Bocelli. The duet between a modern singer and a tenor was something really new and a revelation at the same time in the Italian music scene, even if its commercial success, despite Pavarotti’s presence, did not match expectations. The Italian tenor will then start a series of musical events, called “Pavarotti & Friends”, in which he sings many duets with several artists from all over the world.
Zucchero’s same name album sold anyway over 1.400.000 copies in Europe. Video taken from a live performance at the Royal Albert Hall in England.



Lyrics

Miserere, miserere
miserere, misero me
pero’ brindo alla vita!

Ma che mistero è la mia vita
che mistero
sono un peccatore dell’anno ottantamila
un menzognero.
Ma dove sono e cosa faccio
come vivo?
Vivo nell’anima del mondo
Perso nel vivere profondo.

Miserere, misero me
pero’ brindo alla vita!

Io sono un santo che ti ha tradito
quando eri solo
e vivo altrove e osservo il mondo
dal cielo
e vedo il mare, le foreste
e vedo me che…
Vivo nell’anima del mondo
perso nel vivere profondo.

Miserere, misero me
Pero’ brindo alla vita!

Se c’e’ una notte buia abbastanza
da nascondermi, nascondermi
se c’e’ una luce, una speranza…
sole magnifico che splendi dentro me
dammi la gioia di vivere
…che ancora non c’e’.

Miserere, miserere…..

Quella gioia di vivere (che forse)
ancora non c’e’.