e started as actor with Pablo Podestá at the Apolo Theater in 1909 and after appearing in all the Buenos Aires venues with a large number of companies, he made tours throughout the country and nearly all the American continent.

He furthered his theatrical work as playwright. His first play was En la ciudad which was premiered by the inimitable Florencio Parravicini. He also wrote El antifaz, Las Camelias, Aquella noche en el Pigall.

As songwriter, he made his debut with the tango “Alma de arrabal”, in 1917, with music by Antonio Cipolla, later he released numbers which were recorded by Libertad Lamarque, Azucena Maizani, Ignacio Corsini and Carlos Gardel. The latter recorded “Entrá nomás” and “La cabeza del italiano” with music by Juan Rezzano and Antonio Scatasso, respectively, and brought “Adiós que te vaya bien” to Europe, with music also by Rezzano.

He came to know Carlos Gardel in 1913 at the Bar Domínguez when he was introduced by Elías Alippi and since then his friendship with the singer had never been broken up. Recalling it, he told us the following story: «I was with Gardel at a table having coffee at the old Bar Domínguez, located across the Nuevo Theater, on the narrow and popular Corrientes Street. When I was congratulating him for the marvelous recording he had made of my tango “Entrá nomás”, an acquaintance of mine born in the land of Rosalía de Castro approached our table.

«I took advantage of the occasion to introduce them by saying: "Mr. so and so, a friend. Our great Carlos Gardel"

«—"Ah!... Yes.!... the one some people say he sings, don’t they?"

«Gardel, a bit surprised, but cunningly replied:

«—"Don’t believe that, my friend. That’s people’s hearsay. I don’t sing. I squall, just like you do".

«And with this, the introduction was over.»

In 1963 he published the book Yo también con mis memorias. Other tangos of his are “Tierra negra”, “Tricomía arrabalera”, “Sonaste viejo”, “Muchachita loca”, “Único amor”, “Las intenciones”, “Todo florece” (waltz), “A mi madre [e]” (waltz), “Oiga”, “Volvé a casa”, “Don José [b]”, “La garçonne [b]”, “Lombardo”, “No vuelvas a mentir”, “Juventud [b]”, with music by Cipolla, Donato, De Leone, Scatasso, Noli, etc.

Bastardi was born in Buenos Aires on October 4, 1883 and there he died on March 6, 1976.