Oscar D Leon

Old School Original Salsa Classics Deluxe Box, is a various artist compilation album. Released in 2005.

Percolating with a combination of Latin rhythms, bossa nova, swinging big band arrangements, traditional Venezuelan rhythms, and tender arrangements scored for strings, 'Between Brothers' marks the dynamic solo debut of Venezuelan trumpeter Raul Agraz. Along with the electric talents of Dave Samuels, Paquito D'Rivera, Luis Perdomo, and Luisito Quintero, Agraz has created a dazzling set of music, dedicated to the musical brothers who came together to make the recording a reality. Beginning his professional career with the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra, the top call New York trumpeter has performed with Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Oscar D'Leon, Mingus Big Band and The Vanguard Orchestra. 'This guy is the definition of a trumpet player's trumpet player. ' - Oscar Hernandez

Salsa romántica arose at a time when classic, big-band salsa, of the kind popularized by Fania Records in the late 1970s and early 1980s, was taking a severe beating on the Latin record charts, owing to the merengue boom and the rise of Latin pop. To give the music broader commercial appeal, especially in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, emphasis was taken away from the hard-hitting orchestrations of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and focused mainly on the romantic, softer aspects of salsa, creating a mixture of earlier salsa brava and the ballad style. Salsa romántica was championed in recordings by, among others, Eddie Santiago, La India, La Palabra, Giro Lopez, Frankie Ruiz, Luis Enrique, Willie Gonzalez, Lalo Rodríguez, Tito Nieves, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Tito Rojas, and Jerry Rivera. Rodven Records, PolyGram, and RMM were some of the dominant labels during this era.