by Craig HarrisA virtuosic acoustic guitar player, Ruben Romero has fused the flamenco traditions of Spain with a wide-range of musical influences. In addition to performing as a soloist, Romero has appeared with the Denver Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra and collaborated with Native American flute player R. Carlos Nakai on the flamenco-meets-Native America album Flamenco Southwest. A documentary video on Romero's life and music, Simple Treasures, was aired by PBS. Inspired by his late older brother, Vicente Romero, who was a flamenco dancer, Romero studied flamenco guitar in Spain. Much of his inspiration was sparked by his love of the musical traditions of his gypsy ancestors. Romero has collaborated frequently with flamenco dancer Lydia Torea.