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 hair loss 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 , 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. Discography Contributing artist The Rough Guide to Salsa (1997, World Music Network) Albums Dimension Latina '75 (1974) Dimension Latina '76 Salsa Brava (1975) Dimension Latina En Nueva York (1976) Con Bajo y Todo (1976) 2 Sets Con Oscar (1977) El "Oscar" de la Salsa (1977) Dos Sets Con Oscar D'Leon Y Su Salsa Mayor (1977) Tranquilo Y Sin Miedo (1978) El Más Grande (1979) Llegó Actuó Y Triunfó (1979) Al Frente De Todos (1980) A Mí Sí Me Gusta Así! (1981) El Discóbolo (1982) Con Dulzura... (1983) El Sabor De Oscar (1983) Con Cariño (1983) Yo Soy]' (1985) Oscar '86 (1986) De Venezuela Para El Mundo (1987) Riquiti..! (1987) Que se sienta (1988) Navidad con Oscar D'León (1989) En Puerto Rico (1990) Así soy (2004) Fuzionando (2006) En Vivo (2012) Awards and distinctions D'León was named Best Salsa Artist at the 2014 Pepsi Venezuela Music Awards. On July 7, 2015, he received a Honoris Causa PhD of the Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador for being "a Venezuelan whose discipline and constancy in the development and execution of his musical art have led him to become artistic patrimony of Venezuela". ReferencesThis article draws on the corresponding article in the Spanish-language Wikipedia, from which the 14 April 2006 version of the article was accessed.'' 1943 births Living people