It’s been 21 years since Jose Luis...

It’s been 21 years since Jose Luis Orozco stepped off a Greyhound bus and set foot in America with only $50 in his pocket.

He had left his prized guitar back in his native Mexico City. But he brought with him fond musical memories: the Mexican folk songs and corridos --Spanish ballads--he sang as a child. After working as a busboy and gardener in San Jose, Orozco finally scraped together $50 to buy a used guitar from a pawnshop. Thus began a successful career as a bilingual folk singer and educator.

Orozco, 39, who now lives in Berkeley, is coming to town this week. On Tuesday night, he’ll sing in English and Spanish and play guitar in a free performance at the Los Angeles County Public Library in La Puente.

Over the past 20 years, he has popularized traditional Latin American and Spanish songs in cassette tapes, records and songbooks that are used in schools across the nation. He also has written a few songs of his own, including “Paz y Libertad,” a world peace song he wrote in 1982, and ballads honoring United Farm Workers leaders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.

Orozco, who graduated from UC Berkeley in 1976, has received a number of awards commending his achievements in multicultural education.

Twice a month, he performs on a Northern California radio station and invites children to sing along on the air.

Orozco will perform from 7 to 8 p.m. in the library, 15920 E. Central Ave., La Puente. Children and adults are welcome.