Oscar D'Leon

A skill at improvisation is combined with a highly-textured vocal tone by Venezuela-born Oscar D'Leon. A top-ranked performer in his homeland, D'Leon has continued to solidify his following throughout the world. A joy for entertaining has been a constant thread throughout D'Leon's career. In a 1996 interview with the Chicago Tribune, D'Leon said, "My message is not about ecology or politics, but, it's simply that people have a good time and remember me as someone who loves them". Born in the Caracas neighborhood of Etamin, D'Leon was influenced by Cuban musicians including Beny More and La Sonora Mantacera and by New York-based Latin performers including Eddie Palmieri and Willie Colon. He taught himself to play bass by listening and playing along to records. "I am not a maestro like they say, " he explained. "I try to make my instrument sound coherent." D'Leon balanced his early career as a vocalist with full-time employment as a taxi driver and factory worker. Forming a band, La Dimension Latina, in 1973, he recorded his first hit, "Pensando en Ti," shortly afterwards. Three years later, he formed a second group, Salsa Mayer. D'Leon, who's known affectionately as "El Leon de La Salsa (The Lion of Salsa)", has toured with very large groups. In addition to touring and recording with a nineteen piece band featuring five saxophones, four trombones and four trumpets, D'Leon toured with a fifteen piece group in 1996. And after a slew of releases in the late '90s, D'Leon returned in the new millennium with Doble Play.



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