Your current location:HOME >opinions >'Bridge' of Love, Music 正文
TIME:2024-05-21 17:04:50 Source: Internet compilationEdit:opinions
Contact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom
Liu Wei, a teacher, taught the Chinese language in Italy for seven years. Her Italian husband, Alberto Casartelli, is enthusiastic about Chinese culture.
Casartelli joined Tianjin Foreign Studies University, as an international teacher, more than a year ago. The couple relocated from Milan to north China's Tianjin Municipality, with their then-one-year-old son, in December 2022. Liu believes she shoulders the responsibility of telling China's stories and spreading Chinese culture to the world. Casartelli, meanwhile, has a great interest in learning more about China, an Oriental country with more than 5,000 years of history and civilization.
Liu noted Casartelli had visited China, for the first time, about 11 years prior to their family moving to Tianjin. What was his original impression of China? "I found this country very appealing. It has a harmonious combination between the old and the modern, which is reflected by the country's history, arts, music, poetry and philosophy. I was particularly impressed by Chinese people's hospitality," Casartelli says. He visited China again about a year later, and at that time he met Liu, in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province. They fell in love and eventually married.
"Cross-culture is an indispensible part of our family life. We share with each other different habits in diet, lifestyle and things alike," Liu explains. It is key, she adds, for a transnational couple to have mutual respect, understanding and inclusiveness. Despite having been in love for more than a decade, Liu and Casartelli still like to learn the language and culture of each other's home country. In addition, they have composed songs together, to reveal the friendship between China and Italy.
Casartelli is popular among his students. Why? Besides working as a teacher, he is a singer and songwriter. He writes songs in both Chinese and Italian, and he obtains inspiration from traditional Chinese culture and ancient stories when composing his works.
Casartelli has performed on China Central Television (CCTV, China's national television broadcaster). One of his songs, Gli Amanti Farfalla (Butterfly Lovers), was written based on his understanding of an ancient Chinese tale about Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, whose love tragedy is considered by many to be the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet.
In early 2020, Casartelli wrote a song in Chinese, entitled Our Struggle Together, to encourage people, around the world, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. He cited the inspirational words — "fighting with a pen" — written by Chinese author Lu Xun (1881-1936).
"Music has been my greatest passion since I was a child, and it is indeed a part of my life. Music has no borders, so I think it represents a perfect 'bridge' to bring the Italian and Chinese cultures together," Casartelli has said. "I don't lack energy. I have focused my will on bringing China and Italy closer, both as a teacher and as a musician."
Wen Ji, one of Casartelli's students, says Casartelli is "a very learned professor." Wen says the classes are interactive, and adds Casartelli is keen to have his students express their ideas. "We are more like friends. He has promised to teach me how to write a song," Wen adds.
Prior to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Casartelli composed a bilingual song, Pass on Strength, to extend his best wishes for China's successful hosting of the Winter Olympics.
"For me, the Winter Olympics symbolized China, and in fact, the whole world was embarking on a new journey of walking out of the shadow caused by the pandemic. I thought I ought to write a song to record the remarkable moment. Meanwhile, the song was also for my hometown, Milan, which will host the 2026 Winter Olympics in collaboration with another Italian city, Cortina d'Ampezzo," Casartelli explains.
Now living in a community with a shared future, Liu says more convenient and frequent communications, worldwide, have provided greater opportunities for Chinese to bring their glorious culture to the world. As a transnational family, Liu believes it is her and her husband's duty to help build a "bridge" to enhance cross-cultural, people-to-people exchanges.
For Casartelli, Tianjin is his home away from home. He has composed a song, In a Place Named Tianjin, with his students. Although he is tens of thousands of miles away from Milan, Casartelli enjoys living with his warm family in Tianjin — an open and inclusive city that embraces cultures from both East and West.
Photos from Interviewees
(Women of China English Monthly February 2024)
32.3KPlease understand that womenofchina.cn,a non-profit, information-communication website, cannot reach every writer before using articles and images. For copyright issues, please contact us by emailing: [email protected]. The articles published and opinions expressed on this website represent the opinions of writers and are not necessarily shared by womenofchina.cn.
NBA playoffs: Edwards leads Wolves to 982024-05-21 17:02
Recreational marijuana backers try to overcome rocky history in South Dakota2024-05-21 16:48
Ukraine says it foiled Russian plot to assassinate Zelenskyy2024-05-21 16:18
Jewish student is ordered to leave Oxford encampment after refusing to sign up to radical pro2024-05-21 16:03
Yu Darvish extends scoreless innings streak to 25 in Padres' 92024-05-21 15:58
Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities2024-05-21 15:33
Where were Kanye West and Bianca Censori's Met Gala invites? As his ex2024-05-21 15:26
Why the verdict in New Hampshire's trial over youth center abuse is being disputed2024-05-21 15:02
Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to Maryland ban on rifles known as assault weapons2024-05-21 14:51
Ministers roll out a £64 million plan to help long2024-05-21 14:43
Ohio judge to rule Monday on whether the state’s abortion ban stands2024-05-21 16:59
Revealed: Ministers considered a Rwanda2024-05-21 16:54
Xinjiang move one win away from CBA Finals2024-05-21 16:50
Equestrian Beijing Masters to be held in October2024-05-21 16:26
Strictly star Giovanni Pernice's former partner Rose Ayling2024-05-21 16:24
Leverkusen unbeaten run up to 48 after Frankfurt win2024-05-21 15:52
Recreational marijuana backers try to overcome rocky history in South Dakota2024-05-21 15:33
Kenvue, Crocs rise; Disney, Teradata fall, Tuesday, 5/7/20242024-05-21 15:28
Children are evacuated from school 'during an exam' after threat made via email2024-05-21 15:20
Beraldo selected in central defense for PSG to face Dortmund in Champions League semifinal2024-05-21 14:18