Ramon Romero and Cuerdas de Fuego bring Latin American music to Berea College Sept. 20

Romero is a master of the Paraguayan harp and dedicated to performing and preserving the musical folk treasures of his native South America.  He also is a composer of more than 25 works. For more than 30 years Romero has performed for audiences throughout Europe, Africa, South America, and now in the United States.  He has recorded three-dozen albums in South America and Europe and four in the United States, two with Cuerdas de Fuego.  Romero began playing the harp professionally at age twelve.  He later studied classical harp in France and was the principal harpist for the France-based ensemble Les Guaranis for nine years.

Romero moved to the United States in 1990 and, in 2000, founded Cuerdas de Fuego, (Strings of Fire) his touring ensemble of Latin American master musicians.  In addition to Romero on Paraguayan harp, the ensemble includes Rolando Ojeda and Carlitos Sermeño, guitar, Carlos Caro, percussion, Raphael Aparicio, maracas.  With the ensemble, Romero tours nationally performing concerts, festival programs and educational residencies and the master harpist also continues to tour internationally as a soloist, performing and teaching master classes in France, South America, and Central America each year.

For a complete listing of Berea College Convocations for 2007-08, which are all free and open to the public, visit www.berea.edu/convocations.