Luis "Perico" Ortiz
| Luis Ortiz | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | "Perico" |
| Born |
December 26, 1949 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Genres | Salsa |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, musical arranger and producer. |
| Instruments | Trumpet |
Luis Ortiz a.k.a. "Perico"(born December 26, 1949) is a trumpet player, composer, musical arranger and producer.
Ortiz was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the capital city of the island. He was raised in Santurce, a sector of San Juan. His family's love of music had influenced him before he was old enough to attend school. When his parents realized that their child was interested in music, they enrolled him in the la Escuela Libre de Música Puerto Rico, a school that specializes in music. From there he went on to study at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico.
After he graduated from the Conservatory, Ortiz enrolled and attended the University of Puerto Rico to continue his musical education and where he would eventually earn his bachelor's degree. In 1967, at the age of eighteen, Ortiz participated as a guest sololist with the Puerto Rican Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pablo Casals.
In 1970, Ortiz moved to New York City and gained recognition as a talented trumpet player, composer, arranger and producer for his work with the likes of Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaría, Fania All Stars, Blondie and David Bowie. He also accompanied Ann-Margret, Dionne Warwick, Diahann Carroll, Trini Lopez, Engelbert Humperdinck, Sammy Davis, Jr., Tony Bennett, Paul Anka and The Supremes with his trumpet.
In 1971, Ortiz formed his own band and won the "Diplo" award in Puerto Rico for "The Best Trumpet Player of the Year". He was also awarded four Latin New York Magazine Trophies, "Best Trumpet Player of the Year", "Arranger of the Year", "Best Orchestra of the Year" and "Musician of the Year". In 1981, he was awarded an "ACE" Award for "Best Intrepeter of Salsa Music" and another "ACE" award in 1982 for the "Best New York Orchestra". In 1987, Ortiz and his band set out on a world tour which included the following places: United States, Puerto Rico, South America, Central America and Europe.
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