New Info on Gaston Bueno Lobo

Just recently an interesting article on Gastón Bueno Lobo has been written in Portuguese and translated into English by Daniella Thompson at the Musica Brasiliensis website, also posted at her web log. The article is by Jorge Mello, a Brazilian researcher and musician; use the link above to read the article.
Earlier we have benefited from Mello's research in our published article on Bueno Lobo through the always helpful assistance of Daniella Thompson. The mentioned article by Jorge Mello, however, has some interesting new details regarding the bio of Bueno Lobo that should be added to the info already published at our website devoted to the subject.
Firstly, Jorge Mello has traced Bueno Lobo's year of birth - he was born 1891 in the city of Campos, Rio de Janeiro. However, no info about his family, relations and musical education has been available, nor has info about how long he lived in Campos.
Secondly, after much exertion Jorge Mello has managed to obtain a copy of Bueno Lobo’s official death certificate of June 3th, 1939 that states the cause of death as by ingestion of hydrochloric acid, presumably following a successfull suicidial attempt. This official statement of Lobo's death confirms the info given by Oscar Alemán, who mentioned in interviews that Lobo comitted suicide after returning to Brazil. However, the motive of Lobo's suicide is unknown and therefore still a subject open for speculations. Jorge Mello only touches indirectly on a possible motive by mentioning that Lobo's profession as a musician was declining after 1938, as his name appeared less and less frequently in the public media from around that time.

December 1927

Jorge Mello's article has more details about Bueno Lobo's career after the breakup of Les Loups in 1931 that will be quoted later in a revised issue of our website devoted to Lobo. Here it is sufficient mentioning that Bueno Lobo had returned to Brazil in 1932 and was already performing at radio in May of that year. Later the same year he participated as performer, accompanist, or composer in four records released by Odeon. The following years had more radio work and recordings, and judging from Mello's article Bueno Lobo's career was rather successful until 1938. However, as mentioned above, from around 1938-39 his name became less known in the public, which may be a motive of his suicide in 1939.
The biography and career of Gastón Bueno Lobo is interesting, from our point-of-view the interest was caught by the fact that parts of this story interfer with the bio and career of Oscar Alemán. Bueno Lobo is a crucial person in our knowledge of the formative years of Oscar Alemán, moreover Bueno Lobo seemed to have had a deep impact on the Psychological habitus of Oscar right up till the end of his life in 1980. However, these aspects will be discussed later in a revised article on Bueno Lobo.

This contribution will also be posted at the Keepswinging blogspot.

Jo

keepswinging@live.nl