Of French and Spanish descent, following the death of his father, Ortero was raised by his mother, classical singer Elsa Marval. Playing piano and singing from childhood, he quickly expanded his skills by taking up guitar, accordion, melodica and percussion. Soon, he established himself as a pianist and composer. Playing an intriguing and attractive form of music mainly of his own composition, Otero draws on the musical tradition of his homeland, blending with it classical and jazz forms to create a vibrant and original sound, which he describes as X Tango. Performing in Mexico and the USA, he has gained an admiring audience, along the way performing with Paquito D’Rivera, Eddie Gomez, Dave Grusin, Chico O’Farrill and Dave Valentin. His compositions have also been commissioned by the Kronos Quartet. Otero sometimes plays solo, works with his own trio and quintet, and he also plays often in duo with violinist Nick Danielson. In the 90s, Otero lived briefly in Madrid and London before settling in New York City.