Gerardo Ortiz

Gerardo Ortiz is known for his artistic, surreal, and abstract singles and videos. In July 2016, he was arrested by the Mexican police for showing extensive violence in his music video for the song ‘Fuiste Mía.’ The video featured him as a man who tortures his girlfriend and her lover, eventually setting them on fire.

Gerardo Ortiz was born Gerardo Ortiz Medína, in Pasadena, California, on October 5, 1989, to Cecilia Medína and Antonio Ortiz. His parents moved to Sinaloa, with the kids, soon after Gerardo’s birth. Gerardo grew up in a large Mexican family with four siblings. One of his brothers, Kevin, also grew up to become a musician. They were inspired by their parents’ love for music.

Gerardo began considering music as a serious career opportunity at the age of 8, when he recorded and released his first amateur album, ‘Encuentro De Amor.’ He also started performing on stage, around his locality, thereby becoming a local celebrity.

He attended the ‘Blair High School.’ While in school, he maintained his focus on music. By the time he turned 13, he was a famous local musician and was known as “the son of Sinaloa.” His passion for music grew as he participated in the show ‘Codigo FAMA,’ which turned his life around. Upon graduating from high school, he stared gearing up for his debut album.

In 2009, at the age of 20, he released his debut live album, ‘En Vivo Las Tundras.’ The album was released by ‘Del Records.’ However, it did not become as popular as he wanted it to be. Gerardo immediately started working on his next album, ‘Ni Hoy Ni Mañana,’ which was also his full-fledged debut studio album. The album released in 2010 and became an instant success.

Some of the singles from the album became popular anthems in the Latino music scene, and Gerardo became one of the flag-bearers of the fast-developing alternative corrido movement. The singles ‘A la Moda,’ ‘En Preparación,’ and ‘La Última Sombra’ became chart-topping hits.

‘Sony Music’ ensured a wide release of the album in the country. The album quickly reached the top 5 of the ‘Billboard’ charts. He then released a live album, ‘En Vivo Desde el Gibson Amphitheater.’ His next studio album, ‘Entre Dios y El Diablo,’ was released in 2011. He then released ‘El Primer Ministro’ in 2012. It was slightly different from his previous studio albums and featured a few romantic love ballads. Listeners welcomed the change, and the album went on to become a hit.

When his experiment was successful, Gerardo went a few steps ahead and mixed “mariachi” and “cumbia” sounds with his usual style in his next album, ‘Archivos de Mi Vida.’ The album, like all his previous other efforts, aced the regional music charts.

Encouraged by this success, Gerardo released a single from his next album prematurely. The single, ‘El Cholo,’ reached the top 5 of the ‘Billboard’ chart, and the album, titled ‘Hoy Más Fuerte,’ attained huge critical and commercial success. The album was released in May 2015 and made it to the top of the regional music charts.