Cacho Castaña facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cacho Castaña
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Cacho Castaña in 2012
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| Born |
Humberto Vicente Castagna
June 11, 1942 |
| Died | October 15, 2019 (aged 77) Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Occupation | Singer, songwriter, pianist, actor |
| Years active | 1959–2019 |
| Spouse(s) |
Andrea Sblano
(m. 2006; separated 2011)Marina Rosenthal
(m. 2012–2019) |
Humberto Vicente Castagna (June 11, 1942 – October 15, 2019), better known as Cacho Castaña, was a famous Argentine singer, songwriter, pianist, and actor. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Before becoming famous, he worked as a shoe cobbler. In the 1970s, he became well-known for singing boleros, a type of slow, romantic music.
Cacho wrote and sang many songs. Some of his songs sold so well that they earned 'gold' and 'platinum' awards. He also acted in several movies. His career slowed down in the 1990s. But after 2003, he became popular again. He performed a lot at concerts and festivals in Argentina.
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Early Life of Cacho Castaña
Cacho Castaña grew up in Buenos Aires, in a neighborhood called Flores. His family didn't have a lot of money. He helped his father, who was a shoe cobbler, until he was 16 years old.
From a young age, Cacho loved music. He even became a piano teacher when he was just 14! As a teenager, he started his music career playing piano. He joined an orchestra that played tango music. He also performed Chamamé, a type of folk music.
Cacho Castaña's Music Career
Castaña became famous as a bolero singer in the 1970s. He started performing on Argentine television shows. He wrote many popular songs. These included Me gusta, me gusta ("I like it, I like it") and Para vivir un gran amor ("To Live a Great Love"). His songs were known for sounding like he was just talking. He said he liked "writing as I would speak."
He is very well known for his tango music. Many of his tango songs are considered classics by his fans. Some famous ones are Garganta con Arena ("Throat full of sand"), which honored his mentor Roberto Goyeneche. He also wrote "Tita de Buenos Aires" for Tita Merello. Cacho composed about 2,500 songs in total. About 500 of these songs were recorded. He released 44 records. Fifteen of these became gold records, and ten became platinum records.
Cacho Castaña in Film
Besides music, Castaña also worked in movies. He starred in thirteen Argentine films. He wrote the music for two of these films. These were El mundo que inventamos (1973) and Los hijos de López (1980). He also appeared in many comedies. One of his later films was Felicidades (2000).
Cacho was a bachelor for most of his life. He had many relationships. He married Andrea Sblano in 2006. He also had many close friends, including former President Carlos Menem. Later in his career, he appeared on the popular Argentine TV show Los Roldán. In 2005, he won a Konex Award for his songwriting. His tango album Espalda con espalda won a Gardel Prize that same year. In 2007, he became a member of the National Academy of Tango.
Later Years and Health
Castaña's career slowed down in the 1990s. But it became strong again after 2003. He performed a lot in theaters and at festivals. He was a regular performer at the National Peña Festival.
Cacho was a heavy smoker. In his later years, he developed a lung condition called emphysema. He was hospitalized twice because of his health. He and his wife opened a children's clothing store. However, their marriage ended in 2011. He was hospitalized again after the separation but recovered quickly.
Death
Cacho Castaña passed away on October 15, 2019. He died from problems related to COPD. He had been in the hospital for two weeks before his death.
See also
In Spanish: Cacho Castaña para niños
