Vivo per lei (je vis pour elle)
Encyclopedia
"Vivo per lei" is the name of a 1995 song recorded by Italian
artist Andrea Bocelli
as duet with Giorgia
for his album Romanza
. The song was also released as a duet with other female artists, including French
singer Hélène Ségara
in Francophone countries, Judy Weiss
in German-speaking countries, Marta Sanchez
in Spain and Sandy Leah Lima in Brazilian Portuguese.
The version with Marta Sanchez
topped the Spanish singles chart in 1996 under the title "'Vivo por ella" and is available on her album One Step Closer. The version with Ségara was released in December 1997 and became a hit in Belgium (Wallonia) and France where it reached number one on the charts. It was the fifth single from Ségara's first studio album, Cœur de verre
. The version with Judy Weiss was also number one in Switzerland in 1997.
The new version of "Vivo per lei" became a tribute to the music; that is what is referred in the title to "lei" in Italian, "elle" in French, "es" in German and "ella" in Spanish. This multilingual song mixes lyrics in Italian by Bocelli and other languages after the versions. The song's piano melody resembles an Elton John
composition.
For international versions, German lyrics were written by Michael Kunze, French lyrics by Art Mengo
, and Spanish lyrics by Luis Gómez Escolar. There is also a Greek version called "Se Thelo edo" sung by Dimitra Galani and Giorgos Karadimos.
The song is currently used in a French TV advert for pastas. Only Bocelli's voice can be heard in the excerpt played.
During Ségara's first tour, the song was performed, but Bocelli was replaced by Bruno Pelletier
. This version is available on the live album En concert à l'Olympia
, as second track on the second CD. It was also included on Ségara's compilation Le Best of
, on Bocelli's album Romanza but in duet with Giorgia
, and on Bruno Pelletier's album Sur Scene (2001).
The song was covered in 2004 by Calogero
, Chimène Badi
and Patrick Fiori
on Les Enfoirés
' album Les Enfoirés dans l'espace.
").
In Switzerland, the version with Judy Weiss entered the chart at number six on 27 April 1997. It hit number one for a sole week and remained for 26 weeks in the top 50. The song achieved moderate success in Austria where it peaked at number 22 on 18 May 1997 and fell of the top 40 after ten weeks.
Francophone countries
German-speaking countries
1 Version with Georgia
2 Version with Marta Sanchez
3 Version with Judy Weiss
4 Version with Hélène Ségara
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
artist Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli, is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist. Born with poor eyesight, he became blind at the age of twelve following a soccer accident....
as duet with Giorgia
Giorgia Todrani
Giorgia Todrani, best known as Giorgia is an Italian female singer and song-writer, known for her soulful voice, which is aided by a wide vocal range, high belting register and great vocal abilities. She is one of the most iconic and famous Italian singers. She has released ten studio albums,...
for his album Romanza
Romanza
-Commercial performance:First in Europe, then charts around the world, the album amassed a multitude of platinum and multi-platinum awards, outselling even Bocelli's 1995 album, Bocelli, with worldwide sales in excess of 20 million copies to date....
. The song was also released as a duet with other female artists, including French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
singer Hélène Ségara
Hélène Ségara
Hélène Ségara is a French female singer revealed in her interpretation of Esmeralda in the french musical Notre Dame de Paris.-Her childhood in the French Riviera:...
in Francophone countries, Judy Weiss
Judy Weiss
Judy Weiss is a German singer who became internationally renowned after singing "Vivo per Lei" with Andrea Bocelli in a German-Italian duet in 1996; while Weiss sang in German, Bocelli sang in Italian....
in German-speaking countries, Marta Sanchez
Marta Sánchez
Marta Sánchez López is a Spanish female vocalist. She was born on 8 May 1966 in Madrid. Her father, Antonio Sánchez Camporro, was a Galician opera singer.- Biography :...
in Spain and Sandy Leah Lima in Brazilian Portuguese.
The version with Marta Sanchez
Marta Sánchez
Marta Sánchez López is a Spanish female vocalist. She was born on 8 May 1966 in Madrid. Her father, Antonio Sánchez Camporro, was a Galician opera singer.- Biography :...
topped the Spanish singles chart in 1996 under the title "'Vivo por ella" and is available on her album One Step Closer. The version with Ségara was released in December 1997 and became a hit in Belgium (Wallonia) and France where it reached number one on the charts. It was the fifth single from Ségara's first studio album, Cœur de verre
Cœur de verre
Cœur de verre is the name of the first studio album recorded by the French singer Hélène Ségara. It was released in 1996, after its first hit single, "Je vous aime adieu", and achieved success in France and Belgium . It provided eight singles, including three hits.-Background:Three years ago,...
. The version with Judy Weiss was also number one in Switzerland in 1997.
Song information
The song was written by the group O.R.O. (Manzani – Mengalli – Zelli) in 1995 for their album Vivo per.... The song won the "Disco per l'estate" edition of that year. During the same year, the lyrics of the song was rewritten by Gatto Panceri and was relaunched thanks to the duet between Andrea Bocelli and Giorgia. The new lyrics are characterized by the fact that "lei" (her) in the title refers to music, whereas the original was a love song for a girl.The new version of "Vivo per lei" became a tribute to the music; that is what is referred in the title to "lei" in Italian, "elle" in French, "es" in German and "ella" in Spanish. This multilingual song mixes lyrics in Italian by Bocelli and other languages after the versions. The song's piano melody resembles an Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
composition.
For international versions, German lyrics were written by Michael Kunze, French lyrics by Art Mengo
Art Mengo
Michel Armengot , more commonly known as Art Mengo, is a French singer and songwriter. Though born in the French city of Toulouse, he is of Spanish descent as his parents had fled from Spanish dictator Francisco Franco....
, and Spanish lyrics by Luis Gómez Escolar. There is also a Greek version called "Se Thelo edo" sung by Dimitra Galani and Giorgos Karadimos.
The song is currently used in a French TV advert for pastas. Only Bocelli's voice can be heard in the excerpt played.
During Ségara's first tour, the song was performed, but Bocelli was replaced by Bruno Pelletier
Bruno Pelletier
Bruno Pelletier , is a francophone Quebecer singer.-Life:Pelletier was born in Charlesbourg, a suburb of Quebec City. In 1983 Pelletier performed in the bands Amanite and Sneak Preview, which sang in English. He later started a group called Pëll, singing in French. At 23 years old, he moved to...
. This version is available on the live album En concert à l'Olympia
En concert à l'Olympia
En concert à l'Olympia is the first live album recorded by the French singer Hélène Ségara, and her third overall. It was released in October 2001, and was available first as a box set containing two CDs, then as a DVD...
, as second track on the second CD. It was also included on Ségara's compilation Le Best of
Le Best of
Le Best of is the name of the first compilation recorded by the French singer Hélène Ségara. It contains all Ségara's songs previouly released as singles from her previous three albums , including the duets with Andrea Bocelli and Laura Pausini, plus three new songs, "Ailleurs comme...
, on Bocelli's album Romanza but in duet with Giorgia
Giorgia Todrani
Giorgia Todrani, best known as Giorgia is an Italian female singer and song-writer, known for her soulful voice, which is aided by a wide vocal range, high belting register and great vocal abilities. She is one of the most iconic and famous Italian singers. She has released ten studio albums,...
, and on Bruno Pelletier's album Sur Scene (2001).
The song was covered in 2004 by Calogero
Calogero
Calogero is a French singer.-Early years:By the age of six, Calogero had already taken an interest in music...
, Chimène Badi
Chimène Badi
-Early life:Chimène Badi was born in Melun, in the Paris suburbs but she spent her entire childhood in the south-west of France, growing up in Villeneuve-sur-Lot with her parents, Chérifa and Mohammed, her sister, Déborah, and her brother, Karim...
and Patrick Fiori
Patrick Fiori
Patrick Fiori is a French singer.-Biography:Fiori was born to an Armenian father and a Corsican mother in Marseille, France. When he was only 12 years old, he was offered his first role in the musical La légende des santonniers...
on Les Enfoirés
Les Enfoirés
Les Enfoirés , is the name given to the singers and performers in the yearly charity concert for the Restaurants du Cœur .-History:...
' album Les Enfoirés dans l'espace.
Chart performances
In France, the song went straight to number 9 on 6 December 1997, and reached number one four weeks later, thus becoming the sixth bilingual number-one singles in France. It topped the chart for five consecutive weeks, then dropped slowly, remaining for 22 weeks in the top ten, 33 weeks in the top 50 and 42 weeks in the top 100. It was certified Platinum by the SNEP. In Belgium (Wallonia), the single debuted at number 18 on 20 December and achieved number one in its sixth week and stayed there for five weeks, then dropped and fell off the top ten after 15 weeks and the top 40 after 28 weeks. To date, it is the best-selling single for Ségara, and the second one for Bocelli (the first is "Con te partiròCon te Partiró
- History :The song's original single release by Polydor Records was not commercially successful in Italy, and received little radio airplay there. Elsewhere, however, it was a massive hit. In France and Switzerland, the single topped the charts for 6 weeks, earning a triple Gold sales award. In...
").
In Switzerland, the version with Judy Weiss entered the chart at number six on 27 April 1997. It hit number one for a sole week and remained for 26 weeks in the top 50. The song achieved moderate success in Austria where it peaked at number 22 on 18 May 1997 and fell of the top 40 after ten weeks.
Track listings
Italy- CD singl
Francophone countries
- CD singl
- Digital downloa
German-speaking countries
- CD singl
Peak positions
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Italian Singles Chart 1 | 24 |
| Dutch Mega Top 100 1 | 39 |
| Spanish Singles Chart 2 | 1 |
| Chart (1997/98) | Peak position |
| Austrian Singles Chart 3 | 22 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart 4 | 1 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart 4 | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart 3 | 1 |
1 Version with Georgia
2 Version with Marta Sanchez
3 Version with Judy Weiss
4 Version with Hélène Ségara
Year-end charts
| Chart (1997) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 92 |
| French Singles Chart | 52 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 8 |
| Chart (1998) | Position |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 4 |
| French Singles Chart | 6 |