In 1992, Bocelli's first break as a singer came when
Italian rock singer
Zucchero Fornaciari auditioned tenors to record a demo version of "
Miserere", which he had co-written with
U2's
Bono. Passing the audition, Bocelli recorded the tune as a duet with
Pavarotti, with whom he became very close friends, even singing at his second wedding, and funeral. After touring all over
Europe with Zucchero in 1993, Bocelli was then invited to perform at the
Pavarotti & Friends, held in
Modena in September 1994. Bocelli was then signed to
Sugar Music by
Caterina Caselli, who persuaded him to participate in the
Sanremo Music Festival. He eventually won the newcomer section of the competition in 1994, with "Il mare calmo della sera". After the festival, Bocelli released his first studio album, also titled
Il mare calmo della sera. The single was also included in both of Bocelli's
compilation albums,
Romanza in 1997, and
The Best of Andrea Bocelli: Vivere in 2007. Bocelli also recorded a Spanish-language version of the song, titled "El silencio de la espera", which peaked at number one in Panama. This version appeared on the Spanish edition of
Romanza (1997). ==
Sì Forever: The Diamond Edition version==