Palito Ortega
| Ramón "Palito" Ortega | |
|---|---|
| Argentine Senate | |
|
In office December 10, 1995 – December 10, 1999 |
|
| Governor of Tucumán | |
|
In office October 28, 1991 – October 28, 1995 |
|
| Lieutenant | Julio Díaz Lozano |
| Preceded by | Julio César Aráoz |
| Succeeded by | Antonio Domingo Bussi |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 8, 1941 Lules, Tucumán |
| Political party | Justicialist Party |
| Spouse(s) | Evangelina Salazar |
| Profession | Musician |
Ramón Bautista Ortega (born March 8, 1942) is an Argentine singer and actor, better known as Palito Ortega. (Spanish pronunciation: [paˈlito orˈteɣa]) Ortega reached international fame, particularly in Latin America and Spain, during the 1960s, when the rock en español style of rock and roll music was popularized among teenagers in the region.
Ortega was born to a very poor family in Lules, and had to work from a young age, selling newspapers in San Miguel de Tucumán, and finding a job at a store. His real passion, however, was music, as he had been dreaming of becoming a singer since early childhood; as a teenager, Ortega was an admirer of Elvis Presley.
Ortega moved to Buenos Aires in 1956, where he sold coffee on the city's parks, corners, and streets. He used his work as a coffee seller to get into show business by setting up a coffee selling spot near Buenos Aires' Channel Seven Public Television station. This worked well for Ortega, as many entertainers would stop by to buy coffee from his stand, and he became acquainted with some of the best known Argentine rock musicians of the era. Ortega also worked near Radio Belgrano, where many of the singers he met while selling coffee near the television station would recognize him and form a bond with the young star in the making.
Ortega became friends with members of a famous group named "Carlinhos y su Banda". He learned to play drums during band practices, and, eventually, he joined the group. A period of wild success across South America followed for the band, with Ortega being one of their most popular members. Ortega left the group to follow a solo career, confident that the recognition the group had given him would guarantee him success as a solo artist.
His first solo album, La Edad del Amor ("The Age of Love"), was recorded under the artistic name of Nery Nelson. This album, as well as the next one (Yo no Quiero, translated to "I Don't Want To"), were not hits. Both albums were recorded in Mendoza with low budgets and no recording company to back them up. Ortega also used the artistic nickname of Tony Varano for some of his live shows at the time, and he became a member of "The Lyons" when the Argentine rock legend, lead singer Peter Rock, left the band. His interests, however, remained in being a successful solo singer, and he left The Lyons within months of joining that band.
...
Wikipedia