Meet the locals in Playas del Coco and you’ll find stories that define the soul of the town, like that of Leonel Ortega, a lifelong creative force whose work spans music, journalism, and local activism.
Leonel Ortega Playas del Coco is more than just a name. It’s the sound of marimba echoing in the streets, the news that matters, the spirit of a community that refuses to be silent.
The Start of the Journey
It started with a plastic toy. A tiny flute-shaped boat with three holes. He played the national anthem on it at five years old, and that’s when his parents decided to get him a Yamaha flute. In days, he had a repertoire of songs. That’s how music took root in him with trial, repetition, and a hunger to get better.
As a reporter, he walked into the Radio Monumental newsroom in the late 1980s. Under the guidance of legends like José Luis “El Rápido” Ortiz, he learned to manage radio booths, recording studios and newsrooms. Leonel has worked with renowned figures like Marcelo Castro, Geovanny “El Profe” Calderón, Carlos Álvarez, Everardo Herrera Soto, Yashin Quesada, and many other respected voices in Costa Rican journalism. He has been a voice for VOA:Vos de America, BBC London, Radio Caracol, and others.
Leonel also studied web design at the Instituto Tecnológico de Cartago in 1989 and became Costa Rica’s first certified web designer. He built the first live-stream radio site in Latin America. The common thread in Leonel’s journey? Storytelling with intention, whether through a melody or a microphone.
Leonel Ortega in Playas del Coco
People stop him on the street to acknowledge liking a song he’s released, or for sharing a story with him that helped them. A child sings the song “Todoelcoco” as he passes. That’s fuel to him. That’s why he keeps creating. The love of God, reflected through this community, inspires everything he does.
Music for the Soul of Costa Rica
Leonel is submitting a new song to represent Costa Rica at Viña del Mar festival in Chile. The song features Eduardo Gutiérrez on marimba and Father Luis Gerardo Cascante on a traditional Guanacastecan chant.
He is also writing children’s stories with local morals, because the next generation deserves stories that sound like home.
What Playas del Coco Needs
“We need to hear ourselves more. The marimba, creole music. There’s too much foreign sound drowning out our own. When people come to Coco, they should hear Costa Rica.” Leonel works every day to make that happen, through his music, through his stories, and through reporting on the truths others won’t touch.
What’s Next?
Leonel is launching a weekly show about Carrillo’s local news and events via Todoelcoco TV. Where he will highlight what matters, the good or the bad.
He asks for support: “attend the shows, sponsor the work, tell me what’s happening. Be the eyes and ears of Playas del Coco.”
“Let’s make noise together, noise that’s ours.” ~ Leonel Ortega
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