Entertainment
Il Divo’s Carlos Marin dies aged 53
In a statement, the group announced the passing earlier today of Carlos Marin.
It is with heavy hearts that we are letting you know that our friend and partner, Carlos Marin, has passed away.
He will be missed by his friends, family and fans. There wiIl never be another voice or spirit like Carlos. For 17 years the four of us have been on this incredible journey of Il Divo together, and we will miss our dear friend.
We hope and pray that his beautiful soul will rest in peace. With Love — David, Sebastien and Urs
On December 10th the group postponed their 2021 tour, noting ‘unfortunately, due to illness, the remaining dates for Il Divo’s December 2021 UK tour have been postponed’. However the tour was to be rearranged for next year. A statement noted, ‘Il Divo are deeply sorry to their fans, but look forward to returning to the road again in the new year and seeing you all in the run-up to next Christmas.’
Carlos Marín was born in Rüsselsheim, on October 13, 1968, although raised in Mörfelden-Walldorf (Hesse, Germany) and later in Madrid from the age of 12. The Il Devo PR notes that ‘Carlos is known as a Spanish lyric singer, producer and manager, with a very broad vocal register, which ranges from the low register of a baritone to the top register of a dramatic tenor.’
At eight years of age, he released his first album in Germany and then two years later his second album was recorded. His early brush with fame led him to study piano and solfège and finish his singing career at the Superior Conservatory of Madrid. He went on to work with maestro Alfredo Kraus and Montserrat Caballé and Jaume Aragall.
Singing is my way of saying what I feel, my way of life. Sometimes when I throw a melody to the audience I feel sad remembering how my father, who unfortunately is no longer with me, liked that song, or melancholy because as time goes by, or joy … the same joy I felt as a child when I sang it for the first time. Singing is what makes me feel alive, so thank you for letting me continue making a living from what I love. – Carlos Marin speaking on the Il Divo website
Aged 19 he won a Spanish television talent show that propelled him into a second career on television as a performer and singer, and a household name in Spain. Carlos Marín participated in a number of operas, zarzuelas and musical theatre becoming part of Il Divo. He had also worked as a voice performer for the big screen with vocal work on the animated film “The Nightmare Before Christmas” by Tim Burton and in the Spanish version of “Cinderella” by Disney.
Marin had taken ill during the UK tour and was placed into an induced coma at a hospital in Manchester earlier this week. The cause of his illness has not been disclosed, although some media outlets are reporting his demise is Covid-19 related while others note a heart-attack.
A tabloid newspaper noted earlier this week that Carlos was ‘spotted looking happy in healthy’ and had ‘chatted away in the selfie video as he promoted the upcoming shows across the UK, in Southend, Bournemouth and Brighton.’ Only days before falling in. The video to his fans was recorded in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, before the group flew to the UK to perform on December 3rd.
First discovered and mentored by Simon Cowell in 2003, the group – Spanish Carlos Marin (baritone), the Swiss Urs Buhler (tenor), the Frenchman Sebastien Izambard (tenor) and the American David Miller (tenor) – became a pioneer of a musical genre unknown until that time when in 2004 they released their debut album “IL Divo”.
Since then, the international four-member group has become the world leader in its genre with hits like “Regresa a Mi” (Unbreak My Heart), “The Time Of Our Lives” (“The Official Song of the 2006 FIFA World Cup),” “I Believe In You” (Je crois en toi) a duet with Celine Dion had helped the group sell over 30 million records and six world tours with all the tickets sold out in the most important venues around the world.
Il Divo has published eleven studio albums and in addition to the studio albums IL Divo have also released a special album of Christmas songs in 2005 “The classic Christmas album”, a compilation album “The Greatest Hits” in 2012 that released four new songs, as well as has published 2 more albums live: “An Evening With Il Divo: Live In Barcelona” (2009) and “Live in Japan” (2014), as well as numerous special editions, duets and collaborations with other artists such as Celine Dion, Tony Braxton, Kristin Chenoweth or Michael Ball among others, and numerous DVDs of their live concerts all around the world
Their tenth studio album, Timeless, their first with Decca Gold (Universal Music), an album full of songs from the 20′ to the present, was released in 2018 and earlier this year For Once in My Life: A Celebration of Motown was issued.
