Louie Ramirez
b. 24 February 1938, Manhattan, New York, USA; of Puerto Rican parentage. Probably the most sought after and prolific arranger and producer during salsa's 70s boom years, the versatile Ram¡rez, who leads his own band, composes and plays timbales, vibraphone and keyboards, has justifiably been compared to Quincy Jones and described as "El Genio de la Salsa" (The Genius of Salsa). The arranger is an important figure in salsa, who is always expected to be creative, original and usually progressive within the strict structure of the genre, the band's style and its front-line (the two are inextricable). Ram¡rez began classical piano tuition at the age of seven and later studied at the Juilliard School of Music. Seeing the pianist/band leader Noro Morales perform made a great impression on the young Ram¡rez and he decided to devote his energies to Latin music. He made his professional debut in 1956 when he replaced Pete Terrace as the vibraphonist in a quintet led by his uncle, Joe Loco. Before becoming a leader in 1946, pianist Loco worked with Xavier Cugat, Enric Madriguera and Pupi Campo, among others, and wrote arrangements for artists including Tito Rodr¡guez, Machito, Noro Morales and Tito Puente. Also in the mid-50s, Ram¡rez did a stint with the Vicentico Valds band, which at the time included pianist Eddie Palmieri and percussionist Manny Oquendo.
Listen to Louie Ramirez
at Finetune.
Albums
- (2005) Otra Noche Caliente
Top Tracks
- Definitivamente
- Medley
- Otra Noche Caliente
- Que Lastima
- Soy Feliz
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