Oscar D’León — Viña del Mar Festival, 2015

Full-length live recording of Oscar D’León at the Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar, performed on the Quinta Vergara stage on 27 February 2015. Nicknamed ‘El Sonero del Mundo’, the Venezuelan singer and double bassist delivers the blend of hard salsa and boleros that has defined his career since the 1970s. This filmed live concert comes from the Chilean festival’s official historical channel, whose original U-matic and Betacam tapes were digitised and preserved at the Archivo Histórico Patrimonial of the Viña del Mar municipality. Across roughly forty-eight minutes, Oscar D’León runs through signatures such as ‘Llorarás’, ‘Detalles’ and ‘Mi bajo y yo’, alongside a tribute to Celia Cruz (‘Bemba colorá’) and the anthemic ‘La vida es un carnaval’. Backed by a full brass-and-percussion orchestra, he showcases the virtuosity and celebratory energy of Latin American salsa before the Quinta Vergara crowd. A reference document for understanding the stage presence of one of the most influential Latin artists, captured at one of the continent’s most important song festivals. A full concert worth watching from start to finish.