Latest news with #Romualdi
National Geographic
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- National Geographic
Meet the instrument tuner keeping the traditions of tango music alive
The bandoneon, a type of concertina, is best known as the classic instrument in the tango orchestras of Argentina and Uruguay, but its roots are in Europe. Invented in the 1820s by a German luthier named Heinrich Band, it was made to be played in church processionals, almost like a handheld organ. When German and Italian immigrants brought the instrument to working-class port neighborhoods of Buenos Aires in the early twentieth century, it became a centerpiece of the passionate ballroom dance that came to be known as the tango. Its melodies ramble and its sound is sad and sweet. Some of the most prominent tango orchestra leaders were bandoneon players, including Astor Piazzolla, Aníbal Troilo, and Rodolfo Mederos—and in the golden age of tango in the 1940s their records catapulted the instrument to international fame. But the secret behind most of these artists was that their instruments were all tuned for decades by the same two luthiers: Italian-born Ricardo Romualdi and Fabio Fabiani, known together as 'Los Tanos' (slang for 'The Italians'). Romualdi was Guttlein's childhood neighbor. When Guttlein was growing up, he observed the luthier with curiosity; in his twenties, Romualdi brought him into Los Tanos' workshop for the first time. 'It's a job you only learn by watching and listening,' Guttlein said. 'They were so generous with me.' At first, he fetched the elder luthiers' coffee, and swept the floors, and did just about every kind of job besides tuning. But he was good with his hands, having learned metalworking and carpentry from a young age, and he played the piano accordion. (Surprisingly, he has never learned the bandoneon, only built and repaired them). After only a few months in the workshop, he knew he'd found his calling. He began traveling with his then-girlfriend—now wife—to tiny towns across Argentina, looking to buy old bandoneons long out of use. With help from Los Tanos, he would practice refining their sound and ultimately resell them to professional players, building his reputation. 'It was a big bet,' he said. 'This is a very small world, and if you screw up, people find out very quickly.' Once they saw he was up to the task, Romualdi and Fabiani began to trust Guttlein with some of their own clients. He worked with them from the late 1990s up until 2005, when the old men retired from their workshop space and continued to tune sparingly from home. 'Ricardo worked until his very last day,' Guttlein said. 'He loved what he did.'
CBC
31-01-2025
- Sport
- CBC
This Timmins, Ont. athlete is being featured in a national Tim Hortons campaign
A Timmins athlete is the centre of a national Tim Hortons campaign to raise funds for Special Olympics Canada. Julia Romualdi, a Special Olympics athlete who has down syndrome, is featured in the Special Olympics Donuts campaign runs from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 at Tim Hortons restaurants across Canada. All proceeds from the sale will be donated to Special Olympics programs. For Romualdi, the campaign is more than just promoting a doughnut. It's an opportunity to advocate for inclusion and support the more than 42,000 athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Canada. " I first started with the Special Olympics when I was four years old when I started figure skating," Romualdi said. "For me, the campaign is not just about the doughnuts. It's about helping us play, grow and show the world that inclusion makes everything better." The Special Olympics doughnut features a chocolate cake ring with white fondant, colourful sprinkles and whipped topping. The multi-coloured design reflects the values of diversity and inclusion at the core of the Special Olympics movement. "The sprinkles bring joy to everyone," said the athlete. Romualdi's journey as a Special Olympics athlete has taken her across Canada and the world. She has earned multiple medals, including at her first provincial games at the age of 11. This summer, she will compete in the Ontario Summer Games as part of the Special Olympics Ontario soccer team. She also works to bring inclusive sports programs to high schools in Timmins, with the program expanding to local elementary schools this year. Romualdi's involvement with the campaign includes interviews and appearances, including a commercial filmed in Toronto at the Pan Am Centre last November. There, she showcased her talents in basketball, soccer and track and field. "Being part of the commercial was an amazing experience for me to see all the hard work to go right behind making these commercials," she said The partnership with Tim Hortons also supports Special Olympics Canada's youth programs, such as FUNdamentals and Active Start, which help children with intellectual disabilities develop motor and sports skills in a fun and positive environment. These programs foster physical fitness, courage, joy, skills, and lasting friendships. "Tim Hortons has been an incredible partner to our movement, and their continued support means so much to the more than 42,000 Special Olympics athletes across Canada and their families," said Gail Hamamoto, CEO of Special Olympics Canada. "This partnership is a reminder of how powerful inclusion can be when communities come together." Romualdi's family is equally proud of her involvement in the campaign. Her mother, Karen, expressed immense pride in her daughter's achievements. "I went looking for her and I took my mother. We found Julia and I got out of the car in a snowstorm to take a picture of Julia's image," she said. "It's really about bringing awareness to a new generation of kids with intellectual disabilities and about growing awareness for the Special Olympics. And that's what we're all about." For Romualdi, the campaign represents a milestone in her journey as both an athlete and an advocate for people with intellectual disabilities.
