 I tried to get this post out on 7 December, the 100 year anniversary of his birth, but to no avail... better one day late than never! What sets him apart? 1) He had a unique voice and nuance: "...when Castillo faces deep themes, the tenderness he conveys is striking. Definitively, he is a "voice that does not sound like any other's voice", as the unforgettable Julián Centeya wisely said. Nor his style is like anyone's; when he himself said that his peculiar phrasing was what the dancers needed - "people moved according to the nuances of my voice" ...and he never deviated from that way of singing, of that natural style of tango, to which a detail of great importance must be added: his perfect intonation."1 2) His way of moving on the stage: "His way of moving on the stage, his way of handling the microphone and bouncing it to and fro, his right hand close to his mouth like street vendor, his handkerchief hanging from his coat pocket, his shirt collar unbuttoned and the necktie, loose. All was unprecedented, everything produced sensation, even his improvised boxing fights when he sang 'Qué saben los pitucos!' "2 3) He had a tendency to go hoarse 4) He was the main interpreter of the black-oriented genres of candombe and milonga. Here's more on this celebrated singer, actor, lyricist and physician1... From early childhood Castillo showed a natural musical talent and inclination towards music. He studied the violin and sang whenever and wherever he had the chance. Afraid that his father might object to him singing professionally, Castillo alternated between the stage names of Alberto Dual and Carlos Duval. An amusing anecdote tells of his father listening to him sing on Radio Paris and saying "He sings very well; he has a voice like Albertito's"2 In the 1930s Castillo made his professional debut and in 1941 began a successful recording career. His first hit was with Tanturi's orchestra - a cover of the Alfredo Pelala song Recuerdo - which was released on January 8, 1941. At this time he adopted his last and everlasting stage name of Alberto Castillo. A Physician In 1938 Castillo stopped singing to focus completely to his training to be a gynaecologist. But tango was still his great passion and a year prior to graduating he joined he Typical Orchestra Los Indios. The orchestra which was led by the pianist Ricardo Tanturi who was coincidentally a dentist by training. In 1942 Castillo graduated and started consulting as a gynaecologist in a room at his parents' home...
Castillo also had some experience as a sport physician:
Castillo's medical background came in useful for the Argentine movie "Luna de Avellaneda"), where (in a fictitious story) he is summoned to deliver a baby right after finishing singing at a carnival fair. His medical profession also came in useful in another very useful way! It reassured the parents of his fiancee (Ofelia Orneto) that he was good 'marriage material'. They agreed to let their daughter (Ofelia Orneto) marry Castillo given that he was "more than just a tango singer". Castillo married Ofelia on June 6, 1945. Alberto and Ofelia had three children - Alberto Jorge (gynaecologist, obstetrician), Viviana Ofelia (veterinarian and ago-engineer) and Gustavo Alberto (plastic surgeon). Castillo left Tanturi's orchestra around 1943 and from then on developed his singing career as a soloist. He started experimenting with candombe, and including black dancers in his shows. His first candombe recording with Charol which was a hit both in Buenos Aires and Montevideo. This success encouraged him to record further candombe songs: Siga el Baile, Baile de Los Morenos, El Cachivachero and a song that he wrote himself - Candonga. One of his most successful recordings was the tango vals song Cien Barrios Porteños. The song was such a hit and so identified with Castillo that he would from then on often be introduced as "The Singer of the 100 Barrios". You can hear Castillo singing Cien Barrios Porteños here: Castillo's last success was in 1993, when he recorded the candombe song Siga el Baile with the orchestra - Los Auténticos Decadentes. I haven't been able to find footage of Castillo singing Siga el Baile in 1993 but here he is singing the song in the movie Ritmo, Amor y Picardia, released in 1954: As previously mentioned, this multi-talented man was also a lyricist. Songs for which he penned the lyrics consist of:
Castillo also had a natural talent for acting. Between 1946 and 1959 he appeared in a number of Argentine movies, debuting with Adiós Pampa Mía, and subsequently appearing in the following movies:
This idol of the Golden Era was still performing in 2001!.
Castillo passed away in 2002 and is buried in La Chacarita Cemetery in Buenos Aires. References also from To Tango, Todo Tango and WIkipedia |
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