Heritage Spotlight Series: Romeo Ragbir
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Romeo Ragbir is a master musician and instrument builder who specializes in the tassa drum. Tassa originated in South India and was revolutionized in the West Indies where it was infused with calypso beats. Romeo leads the South Florida tassa group, Romeo’s Tassa Kids, and performs at Indo-Caribbean Hindu weddings and other cultural events and ceremonies in the community. His ancestors brought the tassa tradition from India to Trinidad, and Romeo learned from his father how to make and play these drums. He has passed these skills on to his children and grandchildren as well as many students all over Florida. For over thirty years, Romeo has dedicated himself to preserving and sharing this tradition and was recognized for his expertise in 2009 with the Florida Folk Heritage Award. He was HistoryMiami Museum's artist-in-residence from September - December 2024.
For more information visit: https://historymiami.org/south-florid...
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HistoryMiami Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate located in downtown Miami, Florida, safeguards and shares Miami stories to foster learning, inspire a sense of place, and cultivate an engaged community. Through exhibitions, artistic endeavors, city tours, education, research, collections and publications, HistoryMiami Museum works to help everyone understand the importance of the past in shaping Miami’s future. HistoryMiami Museum connects people by telling the stories of Miami’s communities, individuals, places and events.