Chamaco Ramírez
| Chamaco Ramirez | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ramon Luis Ramirez Toro |
| Also known as | Chamaco,Chamo |
| Born |
September 10, 1941 Santurce, Puerto Rico |
| Died |
March 27, 1983 (aged 41) Bronx, New York |
| Genres | Salsa |
| Years active | 1960—1983 |
Chamaco Ramirez (September 10, 1941 - March 27, 1983) was a Puerto Rican salsa singer and composer. He came to prominence and is still mostly remembered for his work as singer of the Tommy Olivencia Orchestra.
Early years
Ramirez, was born Ramon Luis Ramirez Toro in the Parada 26 section of Santurce, Puerto Rico. A naturally gifted musician since his early youth, at the age of 16 and while still a High School student, he joined Tommy Olivencia to start the orchestra which would bear Olivencia's name and which would later go by the moniker of La Primerisima Orquesta de Puerto Rico.
La Primerisima Orquesta de Puerto Rico de Tommy Olivencia
With La Primerisima Orquesta de Puerto Rico de Tommy Olivencia, in which Ramirez shared vocals with Paquito Guzmán, he would work from 1960 to 1971 and again from 1974 to 1976. He recorded eight albums with this orchestra which are now considered classics of the Salsa genre. Besides his vocal work which was marked by his ability to improvise, he was also a gifted composer who wrote the Salsa classic, Trucutu, later covered by Marc Anthony. Among his other hits include "Plante Bandera" (which was later covered by reggaeton artists Tego Calderon and Tempo Alomar) and "Evelio Y La Rumba" (which was later covered by salsa group Los Soneros Del Barrio).
Later Work
After leaving Tommy Olivencia's orchestra, Ramirez moved to New York City where he worked with the orchestra of Kako Bastar. Later he would move to Los Angeles where he worked with two minor local orchestras. In 1979, he released his first and only solo album, titled Alive and Kicking.
Later years and death
During his later years, Ramirez had frequent problems with the law due to his consumption of narcotics. On the morning of March 27, 1983, he was found wounded in an alleyway in the Bronx, New York City. He had gunshot wounds to the head and cheek, and died while he was being taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
See also
www.aliveandkickingthemovie.com Official website of an upcoming documentary on the life of Chamaco Ramírez.