Mark Ortega Entertainment
“Entertaining with my music is my life,” says out singer-songwriter Mark Ortega. “My mission is to provide exceptional entertainment while advancing causes important to the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Questioning community.”
Mark Ortega is a singer, songwriter, and a jazz and classically trained pianist originally from Des Moines, Iowa. He is the founder of Mark Ortega Entertainment and is an iTunes and Google Play artist.
Currently based out of Phoenix and L.A., Mark has been leaving his musical “mark” along the West Coast as well as the Mid West. From 2009 to 2014, Mark founded a musical showcase series featuring talented local gay artists in Chicago. The showcases provided exceptional live entertainment while raising funds and awareness for causes important to the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community. The showcases benefited The Trevor Project, Ride For AIDS Chicago, Test Positive Aware Network and Lambda Legal Chicago. Mark's showcases were held at various clubs in Chicago including Spin, Circuit, and The Glenwood.
In June 2012, Mark was honored to be the opening act for NBC's The Voice Finalist Beverly McClellan at Capital City Pride in his hometown of Des Moines, IA in front of a crowd of 10,000. Mark was also the opening act for favorite 80's cover band Sixteen Candles at Pride North in Chicago in June 2013.
View YouTube video here for performance at Capital City Pride: http://youtu.be/Eb9h7yJrHbc
In 2013, Mark released “Boystown,” a song co-written with Danny MacArthur-Kemp, about coming out and life within the LGBTQ community based on personal experiences. The song peaked at #3 on OutVoice.net's top 10 in April 2013. “Boystown” was also featured at GoPride.com in Chicago and L.A., as well as on the “Gaybourhood” podcast hosted by Hong Kong's DJ Stonedog in March 2014.
From 2004 to 2009, Mark teamed up with Long Beach, CA rocker Danny MacArthur-Kemp to form the group Hi-Teck. The duo performed at Prides in Long Beach, Palm Springs and Phoenix and preceded acts Sir Ari Gold, Brian Kent, and Jennifer Holliday.
In June 2011, Mark released his original dance song "Take Me Now" available on iTunes, Amazon and MP3.com. A portion of the sales of this song benefited local and national LGBT organization to help further Mark's mission of advancing causes important to the community. Mark was also a finalist in the Windy City Gay Idol Competition as well as Gays Got Talent Chicago.
In the late 90's and early 2000's as a member of synth-pop group Digital Soldiers, Mark appeared at gay prides in L.A., San Francisco, Phoenix, Long Beach, Las Vegas, Palm Springs and San Diego, and has preceded acts such as The Motels, Berlin, and Taylor Dayne.
In November of 2014, Mark released a 5 song instrumental piano EP titled, “A Grand Christmas.”
Mark is currently rehearsing for his album release party and performance with his group, Digital Soldiers.
Live performance links:
Take Me Now Live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGbJA55aJrU
Skin Party Live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_i0qkzXNJk
It Had To Be You (Windy City Gay Idol Finalist)
Contact info:
MarkOrtegaEntertainment@gmail.com
Facebook: TheMarkOrtega or MarkOrtegaEntertainment
Twitter: @TheMarkOrtega
www.MarkOrtegaEntertainment.com