Louie Ramirez’s virtuosity and impressive ability to perform as arranger, director, composer, and producer on each and every one of his albums earned him the reputation of being one of the most talented and prominent musicians in the industry.
And so it was only natural that Fania Records President Jerry Masucci would discover him and bring him aboard his talented ship of musicians. Masucci put him in charge of doing arrangements for bands on the label and the label’s subsidiaries – and Ramirez did not disappoint.
His ability to create danceable arrangements was appreciated by orchestra directors from Tito Rodríguez to Tito Puente, and showcased his musical talent and professionalism.
“Conozca a Louie Ramírez,” his first recording in 1963, introduced him to the music world.
Many famous artists sang his songs, including Tito Allen, Jimmy Sabater, Adalberto Santiago, Cheo Feliciano, and Rudy Calzado, who sang “El títere,” considered a classic of his discography. Ramírez repeated his success with Rubén Blades, who he collaborated with to record the anthology “Louie Ramírez y amigos.”
Among the most important on his list of successes were his compositions for Celia Cruz and Johnny Cruz, which earned him top billing in both sales and popularity.
The music world lost one of its biggest champions with the sudden death of Louie Ramírez at the height of his career.