Humberto Vicente Castagna (June 11, 1942 – October 15, 2019), better known as Cacho Castaña, was an Argentine singer, songwriter, pianist and actor. Born in Buenos Aires, he initially worked as a shoe cobbler before becoming famous as a bolero singer in the 1970s. Castana composed and sung various compositions and songs, several of which became gold and platinum records. He also starred in multiple films. Castaña's career declined during the 1990s but rebounded after 2003 and he became active in Argentina's stage and festival circuit.
Early life
Cacho Castaña was born in Buenos Aires and was raised in modest circumstances in the Flores neighborhood. He worked with his father, a shoe cobbler, until he was 16. He developed an interest in music during his early years, becoming a piano teacher by the age of fourteen. He began his career in music in his teens as a pianist in Oscar Espósito's orquesta típica, one of numerous such groups that performed tango music at the time, and also performed in the Chamamé folk genre.
Career
Music
Castaña became famous as a bolero singer during the 1970s. He began performing on Argentine television programs such as Tiempo Final and Un Cortado, among others. and ten, platinum (over 40,000 sold).
Film
Aside from his musical career, Castaña was involved in filmography. Castaña starred in thirteen Argentine films, including two for which he wrote the score, El mundo que inventamos ("The World We Created", 1973) and Los hijos de López ("López's Sons", 1980); numerous picaresque comedies; and in Felicidades (2000). A confirmed bachelor for much of his life, his numerous relationships included one with Susana Giménez during the 1970s (Giménez would later become a top-rated talk show hostess in Argentina). He was invited to perform "with all the other monsters" in Leopoldo Federico's series, Selección Nacional de Tango Argentino (an event he considered "the happiest day of my life"), and was inducted into the National Academy of Tango in 2007. A heavy smoker, he developed emphysema in later years, and was twice hospitalized as he prepared to appear in shows. Their marriage suffered, however, and they separated in 2011. He was again hospitalized following the separation, and made a speedy recovery.