An Italian double bassist living in Scone has recorded his debut solo album in the endangered minority dialect of his native language.
Roberto Cassani, 45, will release Ansema We Stand in the Lombardy dialect of Rivoltano, which is only heard in certain regions of northern Italy.
The musician, who has lived in Scotland for 20 years and Scone for 12, believes there are many similarities between Rivoltano and the different dialects across Perthshire and Scotland.
He said: “It’s a very small area.
“It’s a bit like Scottish Gaelic, its got its own versions.
“It changes from town to town.
“With the new generation coming up there is less of it spoken so it’s nice to have this album.”
Spikkin Scots: Listen to the different dialects of Scotland with our interactive map
Roberto wanted to combine the musicality of the Italian spoken word and the sounds of Scottish traditional music in his first solo album.
Ansema means ‘together’ in his native tongue and Roberto was inspired by the current pandemic and, both in Scotland and in Italy, was people’s willingness to look after each other.
“Last year it finally felt like it was time to make the album I had dreamed of – an album that really mattered to me,” said Roberto.
“Ansema We Stand values the influence Scotland has had on me over the years, while allowing me to create the first ever piece of art in my native dialect.
“It’s a proud moment.
“Covid-19 was a bit of a starting point to celebrate what we can achieve as small communities to help each other.
“From this, comes a universal message – culture and community are essential to survive and flourish, especially in hard times.”
While this is Roberto’s first solo album, the double bassist is hugely experienced, playing stages including Celtic Connections, Folk Alliance in the US and Canada and the iconic Sun Studio in Memphis.
Having grown up making and writing music, Roberto’s signed to a record label in his teens and was mentored by great jazz double bassist Giovanni Tommaso.
He then relocated to Scotland to follow a different path and pursue a career in nursing.
Ansema We Stand will be available on CD and to download and stream on April 2.