Louie Ramirez (February 24, 1938 – June 7, 1993) was an American

boogaloo Boogaloo or bugalú (also: shing-a-ling, Latin boogaloo, Latin R&B) is a music genre, genre of Latin music and dance which was popular in the United States in the 1960s. Boogaloo originated in New York City mainly by stateside Puerto Ricans with ...

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (food), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: Arts and ent ...

and

latin jazz Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Latin American rhythms. The two main categories are Afro-Cuban jazz, rhythmically based on Cuban popular dance music, with a rhythm section employing ostinato patterns or a clave (rhythm), clave, and Afro-Brazil ...

percussionist, vibraphonist, band leader and composer. He co-wrote with

Johnny Pacheco Juan Pablo Knipping Pacheco (25 March 1935 – 15 February 2021), known as Johnny Pacheco, was a Dominican musician, arranger, composer, bandleader, and record producer. Born in the Dominican Republic, Pacheco became a leading figure in the New ...

the 1961 hit "El Güiro De Macorina". He has been called "the

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

of Salsa."Jackie Nuñez, "Remembering Louie Ramírez"
, Viva La Música NY Style…Y Más.

Biography

Ramirez was born in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, United States. Son of Puerto Rican parents living in New York City. He made his professional debut with Joe Loco's band in 1956, replacing vibraphonist Pete Terrace. Ramirez made his own debut as a bandleader in 1963, with ''Introducing Louie Ramirez'' (Rmo Records). He subsequently recorded for Alegre, Fania,

Atco Atco or ATCO may refer to: Businesses * ATCO, a Canadian diversified company involved in manufacturing, utilities, energy and technologies ** ATCO Electric, a subsidiary of the above company * Atco (British mower company), a mower manufacturing com ...

United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1958 ...

, Caiman, FNA and

RMM Records & Video RMM Records, also known as RMM Records & Video Corp, was an independent Latin music (genre), Latin music record label established in 1987 and based in New York City. The label was most active during the late 1980s and early 1990s and produced pri ...

AllMusic discography AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

/ref> He partnered with

Charlie Palmieri Carlos Manuel "Charlie" Palmieri (November 21, 1927 – September 12, 1988) was an American bandleader and musical director of salsa music. He was known as the "Giant of the Keyboards". Early years Palmieri's parents migrated to New York from P ...

and

Joe Cuba Gilberto Miguel Calderón (April 22, 1931 – February 15, 2009), known professionally as Joe Cuba, was an American conga drummer of Puerto Rican descent widely regarded as the "Father of Latin Boogaloo". Early years Gilberto Miguel Calderón ...

from 1965 to 1968. With Tito Rodriguez he released the LP ''Tito Rodríguez y Louie Ramírez En Algo Nuevo'' in 1972, and Ray de La Paz. He became a staff producer at Fania in 1975. He appeared as a sideman or a production assistant on many recordings by other artists, such as

Willie Colón William Anthony Colón Román (born April 28, 1950) is a Puerto Rican and American Salsa musician and social activist. He began his career as a trombonist but also sings, writes, produces and acts. Colón was a pioneer of Salsa music and a be ...

, in the 1970s. On June 7, 1993, while driving along Junction Boulevard in

Queens, New York Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, Ramirez suffered a fatal

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

, at the age of 55. He was recording his third album with the singer Ray De La Paz. It was entitled ''Preparate Bailador''.

References

External links

*
Louie Ramirez
at Vinilemania {{DEFAULTSORT:Ramirez, Louie 1938 births 1993 deaths American jazz vibraphonists Fania All-Stars members Fania Records artists Jazz musicians from New York City Latin jazz musicians Mercury Records artists Salsa musicians 20th-century American musicians