ROMERO: Suite para cuerdas

by Michael Clive

Active as a composer, pianist, arranger and conductor, Aldemaro Romero was esteemed as a key figure in Venezuela’s Onda Nuevo, or “new wave” movement. As a composer he was prolific, creating a wide range of music in genres including Caribbean jazz, and Venezuelan dance.

Romero began his musical studies with his father and moved with his family to the Venezuelan capital of Caracas in 1941. There he worked as a pianist in nocturnal saloons and dance orchestras. In 1949, he toured in Cuba, then went to New York City. In 1952, he returned to Caracas and established his own dance orchestra. In 1951, Romero returned to New York and accepted a position as arranger at RCA Victor. His own album for RCA, Dinner in Caracas, became a sensational hit and launched him to fame, leading to collaborations with stars including Dean Martin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Stan Kenton, René Touzent, Machito, and Tito Puente.