The Miami Herald described Portillo as "a fundamental author of Latin American music" and "one of Cuba's most celebrated composers".
[6] Portillo received international prominence after his 1946 romance song "Contigo en la Distancia" ("With You in the Distance"[6]) was performed by Andy Russell.
[5] Portillo never revealed the identity of the woman who supposedly inspired him to write "Contigo en la Distancia".
[3] Portillo was awarded the Premio Latino a Toda Una Vida by the Spanish Academy of the Arts and Lyrics of Music at a ceremony held in Madrid in 2004.
[9][10] His songs like "Contigo en la distancia", "Tú mi delirio", "Sabrosón", "Noche cubana", "Realidad y Fantasía" and "Canción de un festival" have been performed by many well-established artists worldwide, including Nat King Cole, Christina Aguilera, José José, Luis Miguel and Lucho Gatica.