Oscar Palavecino

Palavecino was born on December 18, 1959, in the town of "Rancho El Ñato" in the department of Rivadavia, in the Chaco region of the province of Salta. When he was nine, his mother Estela fell ill and his family moved to Tartagal, where they lived in his uncle's house. Palavecino worked multiple jobs during those years.^[1]

When Palavecino was 16, his mother died. Oscar took work selling gas cylinders before completing his mandatory military service in 1979. Upon his return to Salta, Palavecino became a truck driver. In 1983 he returned to Tartagal and began working as a bus driver; during this time, his began his interest in music.^[2]

Palavecino began performing Argentinean folk music at the folk club "Gauchos de Güemes." When he was 25 years old, he formed his first group, Pilcomayo Tres, with "El Negro" Gómez on violin, Elvio Condoríen on guitar, and Oscar on percussion. The group toured the north of Argentina until Gómez left the band and the trio disbanded. Palavecino formed a second group with Oscar Bazán on lead guitar, Don Lucas Cabral on bandoneon, Elías Balderrama on second guitar and Pascual Toledo on percussion.

Palavecino began recording his first cassette with the participation of Mauro Matos, a Buenos Aires violinist. Unable to afford the cost of production, the record remains unfinished. In 1987, he released his first finished cassette, Pa' mis abuelos esta zamba. A second cassette, Pa'l tío Pala, came in 1989.^[3]

In 2001 he released his best-known song, "La ley y la trampa" off the album of the same name. The album won a Premios Gardel award.^[4]

In 2008, Palavecino won a Latin Grammy Award.^[5]

Since 1984, Palavecino has released over 25 albums, totaling approximately 600 songs.

• Official site