Oscar Emilio León Somoza, known as Oscar D'León, and affectionately called The Pharaoh of Salsa, The Lion of Salsa, The Devil of Salsa, and the Son singer of the World, is a Venezuelan musician best known for his work with salsa music. He is the author of "Llorarás", which he recorded in 1975 with his group La Dimensión Latina. He is also ambassador for Operation Smile.
Early life
Oscar D'León was a long-time resident of the Parroquia Antímano section of Caracas. He had a strong interest in percussion ever since he was a child, improvising bass parts with his throat while playing Latin rhythms with his hands on any available surface. He got in trouble in school early on for doing this constantly. He then took interest in the upright bass, and would eventually alternate in jobs as an auto mechanic, assembly line worker or taxi driver and bass player for local conjuntos . As he acquired a reputation for being a solid bass player, clever improviser, humorous entertainer and dynamic singer, he founded orchestras such as La Golden Star and music groups such as Los Psicodélicos. Together with percussionist José Rodríguez and trombone players César Monge and José Antonio Rojas, he formed La Dimensión Latina in 1972. Four years later, D'León quit the group and created La Salsa Mayor. With La Salsa Mayor he recorded the merengue standard "Juanita Morell", a version that became a radio hit in Puerto Rico. He later founded La Crítica in 1978 in memory of the legends of Cuban Rumba, such as Miguelito Valdés. For a while, D'León would alternate singing with both orchestras, giving him enough flexibility to stay working constantly.
Career
During the 1980s, D'León achieved recognition in salsa music, becoming a known Caribbean music singer. In 1982 he visited Cuba. His visit was a major cultural event in the island country. Since local tastes in music had veered away from the traditional sounds of Cuban music in part because many of the major Cuban stars of the past had either died or were living elsewhere in exile, D'León's "retro" style of music became very popular among Cubans of all ages. Meanwhile, he got tired of carrying around his double bass, "and opening the case in baggage claim at the airport only to find it reduced down to toothpicks." Therefore, he gave up playing a bass onstage. He also started shaving his head regularly, as to not bother with alopecia any longer. He would, however, never shave off his trademark mustache. Because of successful tours throughout America and Spain, D'León was the first Latino to sign a contract with the BBC. He has also performed in Japan, where he shocked a television host by heartedly recommending sexual intercourse as the key component of a healthy lifestyle during a live interview.
Personal life
Oscar D'Leon has been a direct or indirect victim of various robberies, among them when he was robbed of $16,000 US Dollars in Peru, and when a plaque dedicated to him was stolen in Barquisimeto nine hours after he had been honored with it and the city's keys on September 13, 2014.
