Jose Carreras

“Music isn't only a profession.”

“I am an optimist and have always been one.”

“If a man becomes more mature due to certain episodes in his life, it gives him the opportunity to look at life in a much more deep way. I believe the artist and the man work parallel, with the same feelings, the same soul, the same sensitivity.”

“When I sing, I want people to think only about the tenor and only about the music.”

“I cannot imagine stopping singing. It is so nice that I even do it as a hobby.”

“Yes, thanks to God... my life has a goal, much more important than my artistic activities, that is the struggle against Leukemia.”

“I have great emotion every time I go on stage. Nothing in life gives me the same satisfaction that my profession gives me.”

“The happiest moment in my life? When my doctor told me I was completely cured of leukemia.”

“I am a little nervous with strangers. But I'm not tight inside. I think I am impulsive.”

“Certain things give you another perspective in life.”

“It's logical for us to sing, but not necessarily operatic pieces.”

“People naturally want to know about what happened, about my leukemia. They ask the same questions again and again. And there have been so many positive conclusions, even through the bad times, that I don't mind at all to be reminded of my struggles.”

“Even out of severe difficulty, some positive things come.”

“The voice is like a man, like ourselves: we all feel melancholic about what we have lost, the things we could do when we were young. But having the possibility to still perform is wonderful. The voice loses elasticity as you age, but on the other hand, maybe you are more mature as an interpreter, maybe your approach to singing deepens.”

“I've always said that music is like literature.”

“It is not easy for me to sing consonants, and I am sorry if I don't sing the 'S'.”

“Yes, you must have the courage of being free.”

“I've always been a big fan of the American soul sound.”

“If you are burned, you are naturally anxious to see what your face looks like as soon as they take the bandages off. In my case, it was my voice that was my main concern.”

“Everybody, even me, sometimes had to compromise on something, doing things we know to be wrong, and this happens doing whatever job in the world. But a singer must have the courage of saying no.”