Luis "Perico" Ortiz

Luis Ortiz, better known as Luis "Perico" Ortiz (born December 24, 1949), is a Puerto Rican trumpet player, composer, musical arranger, and producer.

Early years 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 influenced him from an early age. When his parents realized that their child was interested in music, they enrolled him in the Escuela Libre de Música de Puerto Rico, a school that specializes in music education. From there, he went on to study at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rican Symphony Orchestra After he graduated from the Conservatory, Ortiz enrolled and attended the University of Puerto Rico to continue his musical education, where he eventually earned his bachelor's degree. In 1967, at the age of eighteen, Ortiz participated as a guest soloist with the Puerto Rican Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pablo Casals.

Studio albums

Super Salsa (1978) My Own Image (1978) One of a Kind (1979) El Astro (1981) Sabroso! (1982) Sabor Tropical (1983) Entre Amigos (1983) El Isleño (1984) La Vida en Broma (1985) In Tradition (1986) Breaking the Rules (1987) Vuelvo Otra Vez (1990) At Valley Cottage (1990) The Man, His Trumpet and His Music... Are Back! (1992) Café con Leche y Dos de Azúcar (1996) Emociones (1998) Jamming (2002) Déjalo Entrar (2004) Cristo Está en Victoria (2007) Tiempo de Amar (2013) Sigo Entre Amigos (2021)

Compilations

Lo Mejor de Luis "Perico" Ortiz (1981) Exitos, Vol. 1 (1997) Exitos, Vol. 2 (1998) Millonarios de la Salsa (2002)

Luis "Perico" Ortiz Productions, Inc. In 1988, Ortiz founded his first company, Dialen Promotions, Inc. The company offers advertising, sound engineering, production, and arrangement services in its own studios for radio and television "jingles". Among his clients are Smirnoff, McDonald's, Kodak, John Casablancas, Polaroid, and HBO.

In 1993, Ortiz founded another company in Puerto Rico, Luis "Perico" Ortiz Productions, Inc. His new clients include The Walt Disney Company and Quincy Jones. During the decade of the 1990s, Ortiz traveled with his band and performed in Aruba, Colombia, and Japan. He also performed in Puerto Rico, alongside Lucecita Benítez and Tommy Olivencia, at the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center in San Juan. Ortiz directed and produced a recording for Japanese singer Yoshihito Fukumoto, a member of the band Sweet Basil, Inc.

Later years In 2002, Ortiz won a "TU Musica" Award for the "Best Christmas Production" and in 2004 he produced the first ever salsa gospel album. Luis "Perico" Ortiz currently continues to produce music and soundtracks. He is also a professor at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico where he teaches Jazz Performance and Caribbean Music.