Paul Potts – Nessun Dorma & Time To Say Goodbye

Here in GT, we’re not all tutorials: we’re all music. Well, that’s just an excuse, for last week, we realized we cannot have an acoustic version of everything that we categorize as music. Some music deserves to be just the way they are, unaltered, and practically all GT can do for you in this regard is just lead you to them. What am I talking about? I chanced upon this guy last week, and I almost forgot about GuitarTutee altogether, for a full one hour, while watching his videos. He totally blew me away.

His name is Paul Potts, winner of the UK show Britain’s Got Talent(BGT). The first time I heard of him was in class just this September, when our professor was telling us how our concepts are dependent on the society we grew up in and our cultural background. In a simple linguistic example, someone from Manila will look down to the ground to spot a langgam(ant), while a Cebuano will gaze up to the sky to see one(bird). In the same manner, Cambodia’s Pol Pot was responsible for the death of at least 3 million people in his country during his reign, while UK’s Paul Potts was responsible for bringing joy to at least 3 billion people around the world just four months ago. You don’t know Paul Potts yet? Read on.

Paul Potts was a mobile phone salesman in Britain. He is also an opera singer. He wowed the UK audience the first time he performed in BGT, and became an immediate favorite. Eventually, he wins the competition, and along with the money prize and the record label contract, he won the chance to perform in front of the Queen. (That’s right! When he says those popular lines “I’m off to London to see the Queen!” he ain’t kidding.) The special thing about Paul though is not that he is such a great opera singer, but that he is, first, an unassuming opera singer. He had no idea who he was, until he sang in that show.

Here’s that first vid, where he sang Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma.

Here’s the semi-final stint, Paul Potts singing Andrea Bocelli’s part in Time To Say Goodbye.

Finally, the Final Final Final Show.

“I had goose bumps” and “Paul Potts brought me to tears” are understatements to what happened to me after watching these videos. I guess all those people who said these just didn’t know what hit them, and tried to express what they felt in convenient terms. Me, I was just silent. Whatever Paul Potts did to me stays with me. All I can do is share his music with you.

I hope you tell others about Paul Potts too.