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.
Oscar took work selling gas cylinders before completing his mandatory military service in 1979.
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.
Palavecino began recording his first cassette with the participation of Mauro Matos, a Buenos Aires violinist.