Tonight Venezuelan singer and bass player Oscar D’Leon will make his debut performance with the LA Philharmonic under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel at the Hollywood Bowl. With this concert you have two native sons of Venezuela joining forces for an evening of music. D’León closes out the evening that begins with works by Ginastera, Estévez, Orbón and others.
D’León is a master interpreter of salsa and Caribbean music and has released nearly 60 albums. I had the opportunity to ask him, via e-mail, about his upcoming appearance and the role music can play in tumultuous times. (My questions were translated into Spanish for him and his answers were then translated into English for this interview.)
How often have you had the chance to perform your music with a symphony orchestra?
I have had several opportunities. In fact, I made a live album recorded during a concert at the Teresa Carreño Theatre, on the occasion of my 30-year career, which was called Oscar D’León Live in Caracas.
What does it mean to you, as a Venezuelan, to play with the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl under Gustavo Dudamel’s direction?
It will be a wonderful experience. It gives me great emotion when Venezuelans stand out in the world.
What does having a fellow countryman in Dudamel on the podium mean to you personally?
It is a pleasure to share this scenario with a Venezuelan compatriot like Dudamel. Simply a patriotic feeling.
How do the songs you perform get adapted for a concert like this and how do you choose what you want to perform in these arrangements?
The selection is adapted according to what is wanted for the production. Everything is possible.
When your album Big Bland Classics was released in 2014, did that inspire a desire to do something with an even larger ensemble? And thus the idea of performing with a symphony orchestra?
I have sung many times with symphonies, even long before the Big Band album. I have sung with the Miami Symphony, among others.
The program at the Bowl mixes classical music and concludes with your performance. What do you think classical music fans can get from your music and what can fans of your music learn about classical music from this concert?
The music is universal. I want the flavor and the particularity of popular music to be carried in their hearts. The music that I play is music to dance.
You released a song in March called “Mi Anhelo.” Is that the first song form a new album and what prompted you to write this particular song? What is your “longing?”
Yes. It’s the first single of my new album. I am preparing a new production. My longing is to continue giving my people joy and to be in music for much longer.
Your most popular song is “Llorarás.” Why do you think that song is so popular and do you ever get tired of performing it?
I don’t get tired of interpreting any of my songs. “Llorarás” is an icon that the public converted it to. Despite the years in which I wrote it, it is a piece that is never missing in my repertoire.
What role can music play in motivating social change? I know you want people to enjoy your music and dance, but do you have any hopes that your music can inspire social change?
Music is inspiration for many. Whatever the style, people receive it in different ways. Salsa or popular music comes from the people, and it is a dream that is always present there, in leaving the best trace with what I do, and in some way be able to serve for a change, from the emotional to the social.
Musical styles are always changing as is what will attract audiences. Why do you think your music has succeeded for so long and do you feel any need to adapt to changing musical styles?
Music is cyclical and there is always an audience for everything. Success it not what I decide, it is the public that manifests it that way. It is still valid because it is received from the heart.
It was once said, “You don’t stop dancing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop dancing.” Do you agree and is that your philosophy at this point in your career?
To dance is to oxygenate the body with joy. I totally agree.
Photos Courtesy of the LA Philharmonic