Ernesto Cortazar
Encyclopedia
Ernesto Cortazar was a contemporary classical composer and pianist.
He started his music career in Mexico at the age of 18 composing the background music for the motion picture La Risa de la Ciudad.
Since then, he has composed background music for more than 500 motion pictures.
He also gained notoriety by topping the popularity on MP3.com
- a leading music-sharing service, popular with independent musicians for promoting their work.
He traveled to more than 25 countries to perform.
Ernesto's father, Ernesto Cortazar Sr., was an accomplished composer respected in his field and was named president of the Society of Authors and Composers (SACM - Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de Mexico).
Orphaned at age 13, Ernesto continued with his intense studies by attending a music academy.
He played piano at bars, hotels, conventions and at the same time, studied with Maestro Gustavo César Carreón, one of Mexico's most important and recognized music industry performers and creatives.
Carreón gave him his first opportunity to compose a song for the movie La Risa de la Ciudad and it became a smash hit in Latin America and Spain.
Ernesto's main musical composition for this film - piano piece titled "River of Dreams" - won the award for Best Background Music for a Latin American Film at The Cartagena Festival.
Since then, Ernesto has composed musical scores for more than 500 motion pictures.
Ernesto traveled to more than 25 countries and performed his original compositions for political figures such as President of Argentina Carlos Menem
, Nikita Khrushchev
leader of the USSR and entertained at various prestigious venues including The Kremlin (USSR) and The Mexican Presidential House.
Ernesto's performances were requested and enjoyed by many of Hollywood's biggest celebrities including Charlton Heston
, Danny DeVito
, Michael Bolton
, Octavio Paz
, and The Rolling Stones
.
Ernesto Cortazar found even bigger fame being the #1 artist on the #1 music website in the world.
Among 130,000 artists Ernesto lead the way with over 14,000,000 downloads to his compositions on MP3.com from 1999 to 2001 which would normally make one a multi-platinum artist by gold/platinum sales designation of the traditional music industry.
His sites were visited by more than 4,000,000 viewers.
Ernesto sold over 30,000 CDs to 69 countries including the U.S. without any record label, management company or agency.
He established a website community which is translated to English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and German.
In 2001, Ernesto moved from Los Angeles to Tampico, Mexico to live his last years near his family, where he died in 2004.
His music legacy is continued by his two sons, Ernesto Cortazar III and Edgar Cortazar,
who are successful songwriters on the Latin market.
He started his music career in Mexico at the age of 18 composing the background music for the motion picture La Risa de la Ciudad.
Since then, he has composed background music for more than 500 motion pictures.
He also gained notoriety by topping the popularity on MP3.com
MP3.com
MP3.com is a web site operated by CNET Networks providing information about digital music and artists, songs, services, community, and technologies. It is probably better known for its original incarnation, as a legal, free music-sharing service, popular with independent musicians for promoting...
- a leading music-sharing service, popular with independent musicians for promoting their work.
He traveled to more than 25 countries to perform.
Life and musical career
Ernesto Cortazar II was born in Mexico City in 1940 into a family of composers.Ernesto's father, Ernesto Cortazar Sr., was an accomplished composer respected in his field and was named president of the Society of Authors and Composers (SACM - Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de Mexico).
Orphaned at age 13, Ernesto continued with his intense studies by attending a music academy.
He played piano at bars, hotels, conventions and at the same time, studied with Maestro Gustavo César Carreón, one of Mexico's most important and recognized music industry performers and creatives.
Carreón gave him his first opportunity to compose a song for the movie La Risa de la Ciudad and it became a smash hit in Latin America and Spain.
Ernesto's main musical composition for this film - piano piece titled "River of Dreams" - won the award for Best Background Music for a Latin American Film at The Cartagena Festival.
Since then, Ernesto has composed musical scores for more than 500 motion pictures.
Ernesto traveled to more than 25 countries and performed his original compositions for political figures such as President of Argentina Carlos Menem
Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
, Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
leader of the USSR and entertained at various prestigious venues including The Kremlin (USSR) and The Mexican Presidential House.
Ernesto's performances were requested and enjoyed by many of Hollywood's biggest celebrities including Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
, Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
, Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack...
, Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz Lozano was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat, and the winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature.-Early life and writings:...
, and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
.
Ernesto Cortazar found even bigger fame being the #1 artist on the #1 music website in the world.
Among 130,000 artists Ernesto lead the way with over 14,000,000 downloads to his compositions on MP3.com from 1999 to 2001 which would normally make one a multi-platinum artist by gold/platinum sales designation of the traditional music industry.
His sites were visited by more than 4,000,000 viewers.
Ernesto sold over 30,000 CDs to 69 countries including the U.S. without any record label, management company or agency.
He established a website community which is translated to English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and German.
In 2001, Ernesto moved from Los Angeles to Tampico, Mexico to live his last years near his family, where he died in 2004.
His music legacy is continued by his two sons, Ernesto Cortazar III and Edgar Cortazar,
who are successful songwriters on the Latin market.
Discography
- 60 Years
- 9 Lives Of Innocence
- Ballerina
- Blue Waters
- Concertos Vol. I
- Concertos Vol. II
- Concertos Vol. III
- Concertos Vol. IV
- Dancing On The Clouds
- Days Of Innocence
- Ernesto Cortazar Plays Frank Sinatra
- Faces Of Nature
- Forever You And I
- Journey Around The World
- Just For You
- Just The Two Of Us
- Leaves In The Wind
- Legend Of The Sea
- Maja
- Mascarade
- Masterpieces
- Moments Of Sol'itude
- Nativity (Christmas Songs)
- On The Top Of The World
- Reflexions
- Sailing Through The Stars
- Scent Of A Lifetime
- Tic Tac Blues
- Timeless
- Together
- You Are My Destiny