Luis Emil Pimentel Ferreira, known as Emil Pimentel, is a Dominican pianist, singer, arranger, and producer, the son of the pianist Leo Pimentel. He is half of the Dominican-Argentine pop duo Eli y Emil, plays keyboards in the band of Ilegales, and has served as musical director and arranger for touring shows.

Origins

Pimentel comes from a musical family: his father is the pianist Leo Pimentel and his sister, Laura Pimentel, is also a musician. He is described in the press as a singer, pianist, arranger, and composer, and his own Instagram profile lists pianist, singer, producer, and arranger.

Eli y Emil

With the Argentine singer and songwriter Eliana Berretta, a semifinalist in the 2008 «Latin American Idol», he forms the duo Eli y Emil. In March 2021 they relaunched the project with the single «¿Qué Harías Tú?», produced and arranged by Pimentel with Antonio González, who also handled recording engineering and mixing, and followed it in December 2021 with «Atrévete a Amarme». The duo performs original pop songs and covers at concerts and events in the Dominican Republic.

Keyboards and musical direction

Pimentel plays keyboards with the group Ilegales, alongside Antonio González, and in 2025 was musical director and arranger of the touring show «Íntimo», accompanied by the percussionist Eudy Ramírez. He performs with a trio and a full band at corporate events, weddings, and concerts, and shares standards and original arrangements on social media. In 2026 he took part with Otto Cruz in a Junior Cabrera «10 Preguntas» interview on the new generation of Dominican pianists, in which they discussed the M1 keyboard sound in merengue, live sequencing, and the economics of being a Dominican musician.

Legacy

Pimentel belongs to the generation of Dominican pianists who split their work between pop songwriting, arranging for touring artists, and the keyboard chair in tropical bands.