Palito Ortega facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Palito Ortega
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| National Senator | |
| In office December 10, 1995 – December 10, 1999 |
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| Constituency | Tucumán |
| Governor of Tucumán | |
| In office October 28, 1991 – October 28, 1995 |
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| Vice Governor | Julio Díaz Lozano |
| Preceded by | Julio César Aráoz |
| Succeeded by | Antonio Domingo Bussi |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ramón Bautista Ortega
February 28, 1941 Lules, Argentina |
| Political party | Justicialist Party |
| Spouses |
Evangelina Salazar
(m. 1967) |
| Children | 6, including Julieta, Sebastián, Emanuel and Luis |
| Profession | Musician |
Ramón Bautista Ortega (born February 28, 1941) is an Argentine singer and actor. He is much better known by his artistic name, Palito Ortega. He is a very important figure in Argentine popular music. Many people see him as one of the main artists of the "New Wave" music style. This style was popular in Spanish-speaking countries during the 1960s and 1970s. He became famous around the world, especially in Latin America and Spain, in the 1960s. This was when rock en español (Spanish rock and roll) became very popular with teenagers.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Dreams
Ortega was born into a very poor family in a place called Lules, Argentina. He started working when he was very young. He sold newspapers in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán and also found a job at a store.
But his true passion was music. He had dreamed of becoming a singer since he was a little boy. As a teenager, Ortega really looked up to the famous singer Elvis Presley.
Moving to Buenos Aires
In 1956, Ortega moved to Buenos Aires, a big city in Argentina. There, he sold coffee in parks, on street corners, and in other busy places. He used his coffee selling job to get closer to the entertainment world. He set up his coffee stand near Channel Seven Public Television station.
This plan worked well for Ortega. Many famous entertainers would stop by to buy coffee from him. This helped him meet and get to know some of the best Argentine rock musicians of that time. Ortega also worked near Radio Belgrano. Many singers he had met near the TV station would recognize him there. They started to become friends with the young man who wanted to be a star.
Ortega became friends with the members of a popular group called "Carlinhos y su Banda." He learned to play the drums during their band practices. Eventually, he joined the group. The band then had a period of great success all over South America. Ortega was one of their most popular members. Later, Ortega left the group to start his own solo singing career. He felt sure that the fame he gained with the band would help him succeed on his own.
Becoming a Star
His first solo album was called La Edad del Amor ("The Age of Love"). He recorded it using the name Nery Nelson. This album, and his next one called Yo no Quiero ("I Don't Want To"), were not big hits. Both albums were recorded in Mendoza with very little money and no big record company to support them.
Ortega also used another stage name, Tony Varano, for some of his live shows. He even joined a band called "The Lyons" for a short time. This happened when the band's lead singer, Peter Rock, left. However, Ortega still wanted to be a successful solo singer. So, he left The Lyons just a few months after joining.
In 1962, Ortega met a songwriter named Dino Ramos. This meeting was very important for Ortega's career. Ramos would go on to write many of Ortega's most famous songs. By 1963, Argentina had its own "new wave" music movement. This was similar to what was happening in other countries like the United States. Ortega started to appear regularly on television. He was featured many times on a popular Canal 11 show called Club del Clan ("The Clan Club"). He appeared with other stars like Cachita Galán. The word "clan" here simply means a group of friends or performers.
In 1963, he signed a contract with RCA Records and began recording music right away. His television appearances also led to a career in movies. At that time, Ortega recorded 27 albums and starred in 26 films. He became a huge idol for teenagers. He acted and sang in these movies. He also shared the screen with many of Argentina's most important actors and actresses. His fame led him to meet Evangelina Salazar, a TV actress. They got married in 1967 and had six children together.
Palito Ortega traveled a lot during the rest of the 1960s and the 1970s. He recorded music for RCA in places like Mexico, Italy, England, and Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. In 1966, while in Nashville, Palito Ortega recorded the popular song "Sombras" by Gil Veda. During this time, his popularity as a teen idol started to decrease. He appeared less often on TV and in movies, and recorded fewer albums.
However, he became a successful music promoter. In August 1981, he organized a big show for the famous singer Frank Sinatra in Argentina. Unfortunately, Ortega faced some financial difficulties after paying Sinatra for the show at Luna Park Stadium. He had to sell a large part of his property.
In 1985, Ortega moved with his wife and six children to Miami, USA. Miami was becoming a popular place for Latino entertainers to live. Ortega joined other famous artists like Celia Cruz and Julio Iglesias as a resident of the city. In 1986, Ortega sang the United States national anthem before a big boxing match between Marvin Hagler and John Mugabi.
Politics and Return to Music
After a while, Ortega stopped working in entertainment. He focused on being a businessman and thought about a career in politics. Two of his children, his son Emanuel and daughter Julieta, followed in his footsteps and became entertainers. When Emanuel moved to Mexico, Ortega decided to return to Argentina.
In 1991, he was elected Governor of Tucumán Province. He won by a small margin against a former military governor, Antonio Domingo Bussi. Interestingly, one of Ortega's brothers, Juan, supported Bussi. But another brother, Luis, was elected Mayor of a town near Buenos Aires.
As governor, Ortega worked closely with President Carlos Menem. He supported the President's policies that changed how some public services were run. For example, he changed the way the Bank of Tucumán and the Provincial Water Authority were managed. These changes were not popular with everyone. The Vice-Governor, Julio Díaz, disagreed with Ortega. In 1993, Ortega faced some challenges and disagreements during his time as governor.
Ortega decided not to run for governor again in 1995. Instead, he was elected to the Argentine Senate. In 1999, his political party, the Justicialist Party, chose him to run for Vice-President. However, his party lost the general elections that year.
After that, Ortega left politics. In 2002, he started touring and singing again, returning to his first love, music.
See also
In Spanish: Palito Ortega para niños
- List of best-selling Latin music artists
