Mario Demarco

Mario Domingo Lapunzina (5 August 1917 – 4 February 1970), better known by his stage name Mario Demarco, was an Argentine bandoneonist, orchestra conductor, arranger, and tango composer.

Life Born in Buenos Aires, Demarco studied bandoneon with Joaquín Clemente and later harmony and counterpoint with Julián Bautista. In the late 1930s, he began his professional career accompanying solo singers.

After a stint with Julio De Caro’s last orchestra, in 1954 he joined Osvaldo Pugliese’s orchestra as a bandoneon player and arranger. There, he recorded his own works such as "Pata ancha" and arranged pieces like "Suipacha" and "Emancipación." In 1959, he left the group for family reasons and worked as an arranger for other musicians.

During the 1960s, he collaborated with artists such as Edmundo Rivero, Jorge Sobral, and Rodolfo Lesica, and briefly returned to the orchestras of Alfredo Gobbi and Joaquín Do Reyes.

In 1965, he founded a new orchestra with young musicians, with which he recorded eight tracks for his label Solfeando. These recordings, especially his eponymous tango "Solfeando," demonstrated his stylistic maturity. He also was part of a trio that performed in venues in the Abasto neighborhood and left works such as "Sensitivo," "Astillas," and "Barro y asfalto."

His health deteriorated toward the end of the decade; in 1968, he had to abandon a recording due to pain that led to the amputation of his left hand.

He died on February 4, 1970, at the age of 52, in a café in Buenos Aires.

Notable compositions

Entrador Pata ancha Solfeando Sensitivo (with Máximo Mori) Quejumbroso Emancipación