Personajes del Tango Argentino

He was born on December 7th,1914 in Buenos Aires. During his youth he combined his medicine studies with his passion for singing. Finally, he made his debut in 1939 in the orchestra "Los Indios" ("The Indians") of Ricardo Tanturi, using the nickname Alberto Dual but later on he changed it for the one we all know. Castillo was different from other singers because he gesticulated so much and he also had a good voice. In 1944 he broke up with Tanturi and formed his own group. He had successful appearances on some films: "Adiós Pampa mía" ("Goodbye my Pampa") in 1946; "El Tango vuelve a París" ("Tango comes back to Paris") in 1948; "Un tropezón cualquiera da en la vida" ("A tripping anyone could always have") in 1949. He had a very distinctive wardrobe. He was called "El cantor de los cien barrios porteños" (“Singer of the houndred porteños neighborhoods”) and he was a symbol for the poor social class. Nowadays, he is more than eighty years old but he maintains his usual ceremony: he climbs on stage, gives a few steps, pull out his shirt sleeves, touches his heart, gives a step back, puts his left leg forward, puts his body forward, and with one hand in his pocket and the other one next to his mouth he starts with his verse: "Yo soy parte de mi pueblo/ y a él le debo lo que soy. / Hablo con su mismo verso / canto con su misma voz." (I am part of my people / and I owe them what I am / I speak with its verse/ and I sing with its voice.). And right away he sings: "Cien barrios porteños/ cien barrios de amor/ cien barrios metidos/ en mi corazón." (“One hundred porteños neighborhoods / One hundred neighborhoods of love/ one hundred neighborhoods / in my heart.) He never took singing lessons: Alberto Castillo, the most "Arrabalero" singer that tango had is a Doctor in Medicine. "I always sang what came from my soul. I sucked tango in the streets, at the corner, in bars." He was the first singer that walked along the stage, that sang with all his body. Albreto Castillo always liked to emphasize tango´s lyrics, to show the pauses, underline the gestures. He was the first that made phrasing with his voice, and he likes people to recognize it. When someone does, he smiles and answers: "You know what? I am a bandoneon that sings."