Palito Ortega

Ramón Bautista Ortega (b. 1942) is an Argentine singer. producer, businessman, politician, and actor, better known as Palito Ortega. Ortega reached international fame, particularly in Latin America and Spain, during the 1960s. Ortega became friends with members of a famous group named "Carlinhos y su Banda". He learned to play drums during rehearsals 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, as he became a member of Chilean band "Los Lyons" when 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. In 1962, he signed a contract with RCA Records, and began recording immediately. His television appearances on the popular TV show "El Club del Clan" led to a career in cinema. Ortega recorded 27 albums, and starred in 26 films at the time, becoming a teen idol as a consequence. He acted and sang in those films, and shared the big screen with many of Argentina's most important actors and actresses of the time. Ortega dedicated his time to politics during the 90s, being elected governor of his province, Tucumán in 1991. He also served as senator from 1995 up to 2000. Ortega received a "Grammy" award in 2013.