Celedonio Romero, born on March 2, 1913, in Cienfuegos, Cuba, was a guitarist, composer, and poet. He studied music theory at the Conservatory of Málaga and Madrid Royal Conservatory under Joaquín Turina and made his concert debut at 22 but faced restrictions from the Franco government, which prevented him from performing abroad until he moved to Southern California in 1957 with his family. There, he formed The Romeros guitar quartet with his three sons, Celin, Pepe, and Angel. Romero composed over 100 works for guitar, with notable albums including Music of Celedonio Romero (1983) and An Evening of Guitar Music (1992). He was awarded the Orden de Isabel la Católica by King Juan Carlos I in 1983 and made a Caballero del Santo Sepulcro by Pope John Paul II. Celedonio Romero died of lung cancer on May 8, 1996, in San Diego, California.
