Martín Cuestas

Real name: Cuestas, Martín Héctor
Bandoneonist
(7 June 1909 - 25 August 1996)
Place of birth:
Buenos Aires Argentina
By
Gaspar Astarita
| Héctor Cuestas

orn, like his brother Domingo Cuestas, in the neighborhood of San Cristóbal, in the city of Buenos Aires, on June 7, 1909. He studied with Pedro Maffia and started his appearances in 1927 by occasionally substituting for his brother when he played at the Cine Radium.

In 1928, along with the pianist Carlos García, he appeared at the Cine Alberdi in the neighborhood of Mataderos. When García quit, Martín published an ad looking for a pianist in the La Prensa journal. And then Orlando Goñi, who was just beginning, turned up.

In 1928 he won an interpretation contest, together with three other bandoneon players, to play at the Club Mar del Plata with an orchestra led by Félix Scolatti Almeyda.

In 1929 he again played at cinema theaters, in this case at the one on Pampa and Las Heras. In 1930 he had to go to the military service and it was the time when President Hipólito Yrigoyen was overthrown by a coup d’état. His show business activity then was almost non-existent.

In 1931 he debuted on LR2 Radio Argentina, with the staff orchestra of the radio station. In May 1932 he began to rehearse with the Baliotti-Ginzo orchestra that also included Domingo Mancuso (violin), Raúl Kaplún (violin) and Alfredo Attadía (bandoneon). They appeared at the Cabaret Imperio, in gaucho attire, but seriously, with white shirts, baggy trousers and black boots.

In 1933 he joined the music group led by Francisco Lomuto, in 1934 Francisco Pracánico's group, and the following year he appeared with Roberto Zerrillo.
In 1978 he settled in the city of San Rafael (province of Mendoza). He passed away on August 25, 1996.