Choco Orta
Choco Orta, born Virgen Milagros Orta Rodríguez on November 28, 1959 in
Santurce, Puerto Rico, is a commanding voice in salsa, percussion, dance, and
acting. Raised amid Santurce’s vibrant Afro‑Puerto Rican culture, she first
performed publicly in her teens and gained formal training in percussion, dance,
and theater at the University of Puerto Rico and the Conservatory of Music. In
the late 1980s, she joined Julio “Gunda” Merced’s Salsa Fever, appearing on his
1987 album with cuts like “Huracán,” and broke through in 1997 with her solo
debut Sentimiento y Sabor, featuring heartf...
