Vivere

"Vivere" is not just a song, but a bridge between two voices that turned a melody into a call to action. The original version, recorded in 1994 by Gerardina Trovato and Andrea Bocelli, began as an intimate yet powerful duet, where the warmth of Italian pop blends with the strength of the tenor. What’s curious is that it wasn’t commissioned: Trovato composed the track for her album Non è un film, and after hearing it live during a Zucchero concert, she invited Bocelli to record it with her. The result was a piece that transcended its time, clocking in at exactly 4:01 and released under a record label that bet on the pop sound of the era: Decca and Sugar.

The song lived many lives. In 1996, it was released as the B-side of "Con te partirò", but its real turning point came in 2007, when Bocelli and Laura Pausini reimagined it as "Vivere (Dare to Live)". This time, Pausini added English verses, creating a macaronic version that played on radios worldwide. The video, directed by Beniamino Catena and produced by Paolo Soravia, was no ordinary clip: it featured footage shot in Africa for Action Aid’s "Progetto Vivere" campaign, using the desert as a metaphor for collaboration against poverty. The song even reached the Latin Grammy Awards 2008, where it was nominated for Record of the Year. Bocelli and Pausini performed it live at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, closing a night that blended music and message. And earlier, in 2007, they had already sung it together at Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico, a performance captured on the album Vivere Live in Tuscany.