Roman Tudela Jr. is a Chamorro musician and songwriter from the village of San Vicente on the island of Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Uncle Roman is best known for his important contributions to Chamorro culture through music and public service. He reflects on his upbringing and instilling the values taught to him by his parents to his children. He embraces his heritage in the practices of fishing and farming as well as the value of respect (respect) and honoring familia (family). He reminds us of our inherent roles and shared responsibility as knowledge keepers in perpetuating the Chamorro language and culture. Uncle Roman dedicates much of his music to telling stories of gratitude, compassion, love, family and community. By sharing these lessons and values, he hopes our community can cultivate mutual respect and understanding to pass it onto the next generation.
