Bagpipers play at Olympic curling in homage to sport's Scottish heritage but they're Italian

"The Milan Cortina Winter Games have put their own spin on the tradition of having a pipe band play at Olympic curling medal ceremonies, an homage that is meant to honor the sport's Scottish heritage. For this Games, the bagpipers are from northeastern Italy, more than 2,000 miles (about 3,200 kilometers) from Scotland. The Cateaters Pipe Band say they are one of two pipe bands in the Veneto region."

"Until recently, the Cateaters' performances were limited to local concerts, ballet performances and ceremonies around Veneto. Performing at the Olympic medal ceremony is their biggest gig yet. 'It's so emotional for us to play here for the world,' said Marianna Spadarotto, the lone woman in the band, who is on the bass drum. 'For me, yes, it is exciting, but also I'm shy, so it makes me nervous.'"

"Luca Eze, who plays the bagpipes, says he started his career on the zampogna, a type of instrument common in central and southern Italy. In the Veneto region, it's sometimes called a piva, and is played on Christmas and during other festivities. 'I played the electric guitar and then a friend passed along this instrument to me,' says Mauro Fortuna, a Venetian who began playing Scottish music in 2008."

Spectators trekking through heavy snow to the Cortina Olympic curling stadium were greeted by a traditional Scottish bagpipe performance from Italians wearing kilts and glengarries. The Milan Cortina Winter Games adapted the pipe-band tradition to honor curling's Scottish heritage with the Cateaters Pipe Band from northeastern Italy. The Cateaters, one of two pipe bands in the Veneto region, previously performed locally and view the Olympic medal ceremony as their biggest engagement. Band members emphasize fidelity to Scottish tradition while several trace their musical roots to Italian instruments like the zampogna (piva). Historical records trace curling's origins to sixteenth-century Scotland.

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