Checo Acosta is one of leading exponents of Columbian carnival music, specifically folk styles native to the country's Caribbean coast such as cumbia and vallenato. His recording career took flight in the early '90s with a few releases on the Musical Productions label. In the mid-'90s he signed a contract with Sony International, but his major-label tenure was short-lived. Thereafter he found a long-time home at the Columbian label FM Discos, where he recorded albums such as Esta de Moda (1996), Positiv+ (2000), and Checazos de Carnaval, Vol. 3 (2007), the latter of which was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the category of Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album in 2007. ~ Jason Birchmeier