Cacho Castaña developed an interest in music during his early years, and by age fourteen, he was a piano teacher. Raised in modest circumstances in the Flores neighborhood, he worked with his father, a shoe cobbler, until age 16. 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.
Castaña became famous as a bolero singer during the 1970s, performing on Argentine television programs such as Tiempo Final and Un Cortado, among others. He authored numerous hits, including Me gusta, me gusta ("I like it, I like it"), Lo llaman el matador ("He's Nicknamed the Killer") and Hay que encontrar al ladrón ("The Thief Must be Found"), and his signature bolero: Para vivir un gran amor ("To Live a Great Love"). His lyrics became known for their extemporaneous and often autobiographical style, which he described as "writing as I would speak."
He is much better known, however, for his contributions to tango music: some of his compositions are considered classics by his fans, including Qué tango hay que cantar ("What Tango Must One Sing", with Rubén Juárez), Garganta con Arena ("Throat full of sand", an homage to Roberto Goyeneche, his mentor), "Tita de Buenos Aires", (Tita de Buenos Aires, dedicated to Tita Merello), A dónde vas? Quedate en Buenos Aires ("Where are you going? Stay in Buenos Aires"), and his ode to the Flores neighborhood: Café la Humedad. Castaña composed around 2,500 songs, of which 500 have been recorded. He produced 44 records, of which fifteen became gold records (over 20,000 sold, per CAPIF ratings), and ten, platinum (over 40,000 sold).
Castaña also 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 ultimately married Andrea Sblano, the 27-year-old daughter of a close friend, in 2006; among his other close friends was former President Carlos Menem. His television appearances in later years included a cameo on the popular Argentine telenovela, Los Roldán. He earned a Konex Award in 2005 for his work as songwriter, and his tango album released that year, Espalda con espalda ("Shoulder to Shoulder") earned a Gardel Prize.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.
Castaña's career declined during the 1990s, but rebounded after 2003, and he became active in Argentina's stage and festival circuit. He headlined numerous Corrientes Avenue shows, and was a regular performer in the National Peña Festival, in Villa María. A heavy smoker, he developed emphysema in later years, and was twice hospitalized as he prepared to appear in shows. He and his wife opened a children's clothing boutique, Las Castañitas.[8] Their marriage suffered, however, and they separated in 2011. He was again hospitalized following the separation, and made a speedy recovery.
After two weeks hospitalized, Cacho Castaña died on October 15, 2019.
Espalda Con Espalda
Cacho Castaña Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tratando de dormir
Y están despiertos
Los ojos bien cerrados
Los dos están mintiendo
Sintiendo que la piel se va muriendo
El tiempo y la ternura son el lecho
Donde duerme la pasión
Amor que se descuida siempre muere
Y querer volver atrás, jamas se puede
Se muere poco a poco
Dormir con alguien pero estar pensando en otro
Si la ternura se trepo a la cama
Y la pasión quedo debajo de la almohada
Se muere poco a poco
Dormir con alguien pero estar pensando en otro
Por cobardía hay que seguir mintiendo
Disimulando que la piel se va muriendo
Hicimos algo mal sin darnos cuenta
Dejamos que la culpa desate su tormenta
Que viento se llevo nuestra locura
Que hoy pensamos otra piel y otra aventura
Espalda con espalda y en silencio
Tratando de dormir
Y estar despiertos
Amor que se descuida siempre muere
Y querer volver atrás, jamas se puede
Se muere poco a poco
Dormir con alguien pero estar pensando en otro
Si la ternura se trepo a la cama
Y la pasión quedo debajo de la almohada
Se muere poco a poco
Dormir con alguien pero estar pensando en otro
Por cobardía hay que seguir mintiendo
Disimulando que la piel se va muriendo
Se muere poco a poco
Poco a poco
Poco a poco
The lyrics of Cacho Castaña's song "Espalda Con Espalda" describe a couple lying back to back in silence, trying to sleep while their eyes remain open. They are lying to themselves about the state of their relationship, feeling that their connection is slowly dying. The time and tenderness they once shared have become the bed in which their passion now sleeps, along with their kisses. The song suggests that neglecting love leads to its inevitable death, and that trying to go back in time to fix it is impossible.
The lyrics continue to describe the couple's struggle as they slowly die inside, falling out of love with each other. The tenderness that used to exist between them has now been taken over by someone else, while their passion remains buried beneath the pillows. They continue to lie to themselves and pretend that everything is okay, but in reality, their skin is dying a slow death. The song hints that they both made a mistake by neglecting their relationship until it was too late.
Overall, the song is a warning against taking love for granted, neglecting one's partner, and allowing oneself to fall out of love. It encourages couples to appreciate the time and tenderness they share and to nourish the passion that fuels their love.
Line by Line Meaning
Espalda con espalda y en silencio
We are lying back to back in silence
Tratando de dormir
Trying to sleep
Y están despiertos
While we are both wide awake
Los ojos bien cerrados
With our eyes closed tight
Los dos están mintiendo
We're both lying
Sintiendo que la piel se va muriendo
Feeling that our passion is slowly dying
El tiempo y la ternura son el lecho
Time and tenderness is the bed we lie on
Donde duerme la pasión
Where our passion sleeps
Y duerme el beso
And where our kiss sleeps too
Amor que se descuida siempre muere
Love that is neglected always dies
Y querer volver atrás, jamas se puede
And wanting to go back, you never can
Se muere poco a poco
It dies little by little
Dormir con alguien pero estar pensando en otro
Sleeping with someone but thinking about another
Si la ternura se trepo a la cama
If tenderness climbed onto the bed
Y la pasión quedo debajo de la almohada
And passion was left under the pillow
Por cobardía hay que seguir mintiendo
Out of cowardice, we have to keep lying
Disimulando que la piel se va muriendo
Pretending that our passion is not dying
Hicimos algo mal sin darnos cuenta
We did something wrong without realizing
Dejamos que la culpa desate su tormenta
We let guilt unleash its storm
Que viento se llevo nuestra locura
What wind took away our madness
Que hoy pensamos otra piel y otra aventura
That today we are thinking about another body and another adventure
Poco a poco
Little by little
Contributed by Scarlett J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
walter montini
cacho te fuiste pero dejaste grandes temas se te va a extrañar.
R AM
Indudablemente un gran poeta e intérprete! Cacho, siempre único!
Egli Gladis Tarancón
Se te extraña Cacho 😪
Alejandro Adamo
Vos si q viviste cachito genio
Victorhugo Velazquez
Grande cacho
Emanuel juan Gomez
es el mejor
José Miguel Navarro
Cacho de bs as,cacho argentino,cacho de y para todos
Maria Priscila Fernandez
genio
Juan
Chabombas flujeadas
tero712010
Si le habras tirado la chabomba en algun recital jaja