Celedonio Romero facts for kids
Celedonio Romero (born March 2, 1913 – died May 8, 1996) was a famous guitarist, composer, and poet. He is best known for starting The Romeros guitar quartet. This group became very famous around the world.
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Celedonio Romero's Life Story
Celedonio Romero was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba. His parents were there on a business trip. He started playing the guitar when he was just 5 years old. He later studied music at the Conservatory of Málaga and the Madrid Royal Conservatory. He learned from famous teachers like Joaquín Turina. Interestingly, Celedonio never had a guitar teacher himself.
He gave his first big concert at age 22. He was well-known in Spain. However, the government at the time, led by Francisco Franco, did not let him perform outside the country. This meant people in other parts of the world did not know about his amazing talent. His wife, Angelita, was a singer and actress. She also studied at a Royal Academy of Fine Arts.
Moving to America
In 1957, Celedonio and his family secretly got a visa for America. They pretended to visit a sick relative in Portugal. But instead of going back to Spain, they moved to Southern California. There, Celedonio and his three sons, Celin, Pepe, and Angel, formed a guitar quartet. They called themselves The Romeros. They also began teaching guitar to students. Famous guitarist Christopher Parkening was one of Celedonio's first students. Later, Pepe also taught Parkening. You can even hear Angelita Romero playing castanets on some of the quartet's music recordings.
Music and Awards
Celedonio made many recordings. He recorded both by himself and with The Romeros. These recordings were released on labels like Delos and Philips. He also wrote over 100 pieces of music for the guitar. This included many concertos, which are pieces for a solo instrument with an orchestra.
Celedonio Romero passed away from lung cancer in San Diego, California. He was 83 years old. He received important awards for his contributions to music. King Juan Carlos I of Spain gave him the "Orden de Isabel la Católica." He was also made a "Knight of the Holy Sepulchre" by Pope John Paul II. These awards showed how much he was respected.
Compositions by Celedonio Romero
Celedonio Romero wrote a lot of music for the guitar. He composed over 100 pieces, including concertos for guitar and orchestra. Some of his well-known works include:
- Suite andaluza
- Estudio. La Mariposa
- Tango Angelita
- Concierto de Malaga
- Fiesta andaluza: concierto para guitarra y orquesta
- Guitarras del museo: para quintarra y orquesta
See also
In Spanish: Celedonio Romero para niños
The Romero Guitar Quartet
- 1960–90: Celedonio Romero, Celin Romero, Pepe Romero, Angel Romero
- 1990–96: Celedonio Romero, Celin Romero, Pepe Romero, Celino Romero
- since 1996: Celin Romero, Pepe Romero, Celino Romero, Lito Romero
