American pianist finds inspiration in remote mountains of northern Mexico

American pianist finds inspiration in remote mountains of northern Mexico

Romayne Wheeler sits at his grand piano overlooking Mexico's Copper Canyon and plays music inspired by the mountains and remote Indigenous communities that he now dedicates his life to helping.

The 81-year-old Californian-born composer no longer lives in the cave where slept with his solar-powered portable piano after arriving several decades ago in the Sierra Tarahumara in northwestern Mexico.

But he feels as close as ever to the nature and the Indigenous Raramuri people who welcomed him into their lives, sharing their food, music and culture.