Sunday World, Ireland

Sunday World, Ireland


http://www.sundayworld.com/entertainment/music.php?aid=9634



IL DIVO
Irish girls are fantastic and among the most beautiful in the world...but they are tough
Classical man Carlos is on the prowl


IL DIVO heart-throb Carlos Marin wants to know if the Sunday World has a 'Lonely Hearts' column. There's a twinkle in his eye and the baritone breaks into a broad smile, as he adds: "You know I'm the only single one in the group? Spread the word."

It turns out that Carlos is serious about broadcasting the good news that he's very available, ladies. "We give each other space to do whatever we need to do in this group," the happy Spaniard tells Shuffle, as the others look on amused.

"I go out with women, that's my thing. I was the first one in the group to get married to show them how married life is. Now I'm showing them what the divorced life is like, so they have two options."

The Il Divo star married Spanish singer Geraldine Larrosa (who performs under the name Innocence) in 2006, but the couple divorced three years later.They have remained friends and still work together. Carlos (42) reveals that he has often sampled the Irish night life and got to know some of our women. "Irish girls are fantastic, among the most beautiful in the world, but they are tough," he says, letting out another loud laugh in the group's hotel suite.

"You can play with Irish girls, but you wouldn't mess with them.They will kick your butt if you cross the line, that's for sure."

This is not the sort of conversation you expect to be engaged in with a classical quartet which has sold 25 million albums around the world and picked up the first ever Artist of the Decade award at the Classic Brits last summer.

"Some people do assume that we're stiff, but it's far from the reality," Urs Buhler from Switzerland says."We like to drink, go to rock concerts and do the normal things like everyone else."

Frenchman Sebastian Izambard - the only dad in the group - says he's enjoying life as a family man with three-year-old twins, Lucas and Rose, and an eight-month-old son, Jude.
Sebastian, who met his wife, Renee, when she worked with Sony BMG, says: "My children blow me away. I'm hands on and I love it. I don't see the point in having kids if you are going to hand them over to someone else."

A former French pop star, Sebastian adds that he's a huge fan of Irish singersongwriter Damien Rice. "I saw him one time in a very small theatre in Vancouver with my wife and I was like, 'This is one of the best concerts I've ever seen.' He was amazing."

Il Divo was formed by X Factor mogul Simon Cowell - and the group, whose new album is called Wicked Game, say he's still hands on.
"We sit down and brainstorm about which songs we want to do," American David Miller reveals. "Simon then hears the songs and gives his opinion on whether or not they move him.

"Simon goes with his instinct and his gut. He's not a trained musician and he's not necessarily a very technical listener, but he knows what moves him. And he knows that he speaks for the general populace; if it moves him it's probably going to move everyone else. So, he's a good barometer.
"I'm very proud of our new album. It's less controlled because we are less scared to be ourselves."

The album includes a cover of the Roy Orbison classic, Crying. "My wife was watching the TV series Prison Break and she heard Crying in that show and thought it would suit us," Sebastian adds. "I guess she was right...again."

IL DIVO's new album, Wicked Game, is out now. They will perform at Belfast's Odyssey Arena next April 4 and The 02, Dublin, April 5. Tickets are now on sale.