Ovidio Cátulo González Castillo (6 August 1906 – 19 October 1975) was an Argentine poet and

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

music composer. He was the author of many famous works, such as ', ''El aguacero'' (lyrics by ), ' and ''Caserón de tejas'' (both with music by ), ''María'' and ' (both with music by

Aníbal Troilo Aníbal Carmelo Troilo (11 July 1914 – 18 May 1975), also known as Pichuco, was an Argentine tango musician. Troilo was a bandoneon player, composer, arranger, and bandleader in Argentina. His orquesta típica was among the most popular with ...

), and ''El último café'' (with music by ). The tango ''La calesita'', which he composed with

Mariano Mores Mariano Alberto Martínez (18 February 1918 13 April 2016), known professionally as Mariano Mores, was an Argentine tango composer and pianist. Biography Mariano Martínez was born in the San Telmo section of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1918. ...

, inspired the film of the same name directed in 1962 by

Hugo del Carril Pierre Bruno Hugo Fontana, otherwise known as Hugo del Carril (30 November 1912 – 13 August 1989 in Buenos Aires), was an Argentine film actor, film director and tango singer of the classic era. Early life Born in Buenos Aires, del Carril ...

. His father, José González Castillo, an anarchist, wanted to list himself in the civil registry as Descanso Dominical González Castillo, but was convinced by his friends not to, and kept his other name. As an infant, Cátulo lived in Chile, where his father was exiled because of his anarchist ideology. He returned to Argentina in 1913. Cátulo later affiliated with the

Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ...

Professional career

Cátulo composed ''Organito de la tarde'', his first tango, at the age of 17. He was also a boxer, eventually becoming the

featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, t ...

champion in Argentina and was pre-selected for the Paris Olympics, attending as part of his country's delegation, but not competing. In 1926, he traveled to Europe, where he would later conduct his own orchestra. During the 1930s, he obtained one of the '' cathedras'' of the Municipal Conservatory of

Manuel de Falla Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was an Andalusian Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first ...

in Buenos Aires. In 1950, he would become the director of that conservatory, where he remained until he retired. During the 1940s and 1950s, when tango was at its peak, he dedicated himself to poetry and wrote with distinguished composers:

Mores Mores (, sometimes ; , plural form of singular , meaning "manner, custom, usage, or habit") are social norms that are widely observed within a particular society or culture. Mores determine what is considered morally acceptable or unacceptable ...

('' Patio de la Morocha''), (''Anoche''), Pugliese (''Una vez''), Sebastián Piana (''Tinta roja'' and ''Caserón de tejas''), and his main collaborator after 1945:

(''María'', ''La última curda'', ''Una canción''). He wrote for many journals, published the book ''Danzas Argentinas'' in 1953, composed songs for different films, wrote the lyrical

sainete A sainete (farce or titbit) was a popular Spanish comic opera piece, a one-act dramatic vignette, with music. It was often placed at the end of entertainments, or between other types of performance. It was vernacular in style, and used scenes of lo ...

''El Patio de la Morocha'' (with music by Troilo), and was both secretary and president of SADAIC in different years. In 1953, he became president of the National Commission of Culture of the Nation. Two years later, the military government, the so-called '' Revolución Libertadora'', stripped him of everything he had achieved. His wife, Amanda Pelufo, recalls those times: Because of persecution by

Pedro Eugenio Aramburu Pedro Eugenio Aramburu Silveti (May 21, 1903 – June 1, 1970) was an Argentine Army general. He was a major figure behind the ''Revolución Libertadora'', the military coup against Juan Perón in 1955. He became dictator of Argentina, serving ...

's government, he had to abandon his profession. Included on

blacklist Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist (or black list) of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list. If someone is on a blacklist, ...

s with dozens of other ''tangueros'' like Hugo de Carril, Nelly Omar, ,

Anita Palmero Anita Palmero (13 September 1902 – 11 January 1987) was a Spanish cabaret and tango singer, as well as an actress. Nicknamed the "Cancionista nacional", she had a successful career in Argentina. Early life She was born in Ronda, Málaga, Sp ...

, and Chola Luna, among others, he was persecuted for his political ideas, and did not return to work until the regime's fall. With the political thaw in the 1960s, Cátulo returned to his former activity. He continued composing, writing radical screenplays, and working in SADAIC. He published the novel ''Amalio Reyes, un hombre'', which became a film directed by Hugo del Carril. He also published ''Prostibulario'', on his correspondence with Perón, in 1971. Among his most popular songs were: ''Maria'', ''El último café'', ''La última curda'', ''La Calesita'', ''Café de los Angelitos'', ''Desencuentro'', ''Y a mi qué'', ''A Homero'', ''Arrabalera'', ''Mensaje'', ''Tinta roja'', ''Patio mío'', and ''Caserón de tejas''. In 1974, he was named

Illustrious Citizen of Buenos Aires The Illustrious Citizen of Buenos Aires is a recognition provided by the city of Buenos Aires, for people who made a fine work in culture, science, sports or politics. It is granted by the legislature of Buenos Aires, and must be approved by two th ...

. Upon receiving the award, he told a short fable:

Death

He died 19 October 1975 from a heart attack.

Filmography

;Author * ''

El patio de la morocha EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American po ...

'' (1951) * '' La calesita'' (1963) * ''

Amalio Reyes, un hombre ''Amalio Reyes, A Man'' (''Amalio Reyes, un hombre'') is a 1970 Argentine drama film directed by Enrique Carreras and written by Norberto Aroldi. It was based on the story by Cátulo Castillo. The film starred Elsa Daniel, Hugo del Carril and ...

'' (1970) * ' (1999) ;Music * ''

Internado '' Internado'' is a 1935 Argentine musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's chara ...

'' (1935) * ''

Juan Moreira Juan Moreira (? - April 1874) is a well-known figure in the history of Argentina. An outlaw, gaucho and folk-hero, he is considered one of the most renowned Argentinian rural bandits. Early life Moreira was born in the administrative area of La ...

'' (1936) * ' (1940) * '' Arrabalera'' (1950) ;Soundtracks * '' Ayúdame a vivir'' (1936) * '' Eclipse de sol'' (1942) * ''

Buenos Aires a la vista ''Buenos Aires a la vista'' is a 1950 Argentine musical drama film directed and written by Luis Bayón Herrera with Carlos A. Petit. The tango film premiered on September 20, 1950 in Buenos Aires. Cast * Dorita Acosta *Blanquita Amaro *Francisco ...

'' (1950) * ''Vivir un instante'' (1951) * '' La muerte flota en el río'' (1956) * ' (1989) ;Texts * '' Ésta es mi Argentina'' (1974)

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

''Cátulo Castillo'', Todo Tango

Información sobre Cátulo Castillo on the Argentine national film website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castillo, Cátulo 1906 births 1975 deaths Writers from Buenos Aires Argentine male poets 20th-century Argentine poets 20th-century Argentine male writers Burials at La Chacarita Cemetery 20th-century composers Argentine composers Illustrious Citizens of Buenos Aires Boxers from Buenos Aires Argentine male boxers Featherweight boxers