Domingo Cuestas

Real name: Cuestas, Domingo Felipe
Bandoneonist ando composer
(10 September 1907 - 9 October 1968)
Place of birth:
Buenos Aires Argentina
By
Gaspar Astarita
| Héctor Cuestas

e was born in the neighborhood of San Cristóbal, in the city of Buenos Aires. He began his studies at the conservatory that Pedro Maffia and Sebastián Piana had created.

His early appearances at a movie theater on Pasteur Street and at the Cine Radium date back to 1926. He got in touch with Miguel Caló, whom he knew from grade school days. They, together with Raúl Kaplún, Luis Brighenti and Roberto Maida, appeared at the Cine Astral (later a theater) located on 1639 Corrientes Street, in 1928, and the following year, at the Cine Regio.

In 1930, along with Caló, he went to the United States to join the Osvaldo Fresedo orchestra at the cabaret Moscow. By the end of the year, on their comeback to Buenos Aires, the Caló sextet was put together again.

In 1932, among other jobs, he started the rehearsals of the musical comedy Fantasía pampeana at the Teatro Maipo along with Libertad Lamarque, Alberto Anchart, Severo Fernández and Alicia Vignoli, among others.

Until 1935 he continued as second bandoneon for Caló and also as arranger. Thereafter he switched to the ranks of an orchestra put together by the radio conductor and emcee Carlos Ginés. Later, until 1949, he played in groups fronted by Rodolfo Biagi and, in 1950, passed through the ranks of the orchestras led by Edgardo Donato, Juan Polito, and Héctor Stamponi, among others.

In 1958 he joined Juan Canaro and they traveled to Mexico. It was a cast of musicians and dancers. They also included: Alfredo Attadía, Roberto Arrieta, Susy Leiva and Juan Carlos Copes. Domingo decided to stay in that country and settled there. His almost exclusive work was to accompany the show business activity of Libertad Lamarque on her numerous tours of Central America. He died of a heart attack on October 9, 1968.