While in China, he listened to a lot of Chinese music, discovered all the Chinese stars and singers, their talent shows and became a bit of a fan of this new world.
What struck him about Chinese songs were their simple yet direct melodies, a bit like him, who defines himself as a rocker with a pop soul.
He had a strange desire to sing and rearrange Chinese songs and discovered that he could also sing Chinese well. Chinese melodies are very musical and harmonious, and the difference in pronunciation is less noticeable when a foreigner speaks Chinese.
From the covers of the Chinese songs, Alberto also starts to translate the lyrics into Italian and rework them for the Italian melodies. He also writes Italian songs and translates them into Chinese thanks to his Chinese partner.
From a simple Italian songwriter, Alberto becomes a bridge between Chinese and Italian cultures, inserting Italian elements into Chinese songs and vice versa.
And what do the Chinese think of Alberto Casartelli's songs, Toa?
The thing that immediately strikes the Chinese public is the fact that a Westerner sings Chinese songs, and they are very intrigued by their translation into Italian.
They are so appreciated that even CCTV, the Chinese national television station, did a report on him last year when it was the beginning of the pandemic in Italy and the Chinese were frowned upon and pointed at as the carriers of Covid 19.
The report received over 6 million viewers with his song 'La nostra battaglia insieme' (Our battle together), where Alberto stressed his closeness to the Chinese people and all his affection.
What do Italians think of this cultural mix that Alberto proposes in his songs?
Italians are also fascinated by Tao's proposal because it is intriguing to combine Chinese melodies with classical music with Italian lyrics. Don't miss the cover of Vasco Rossi's 'Vivere' arranged with Chinese instruments.
In the song 'Gli amanti farfalla', on the other hand, Alberto recounts a typical Chinese legend that the Italian audience really liked. A romantic story that is a kind of Romeo and Juliet in Chinese. Both Chinese and Italians find similarities in these two stories and are impressed.
"I am going through a period in which I feel inspired. Maybe also because I was forced to stay at home and I have new songs in store. Another Chinese song by one of my favourite singers, Cuī Jiàn, will be released soon. The song is called 'The Girl from the Nursery' and I have already translated it into Italian and shot the video clip last September. "
In addition he has another unreleased song, a classic Chinese romantic ballad that is sure to strike a chord with the Chinese audience. It is written in English but with the chorus in Chinese and is called Forever, 永远.
"For the Chinese, love is a very dear theme, and they love romantic songs about love. In fact, almost all pop songs are about love."
But now we come to the most delicate question we asked Alberto, "would you like to go back to China?" The answer was obviously positive.
"I miss China so much and that I hope to go back there soon. My dream would be just to play and do some live shows in China to make my songs known."
And we hope very much that we can go and see him at some of his live shows in Milan. And then in China.
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