Comedian Carlos Balaa key figure of Argentine humor for more than half a century, which entertained three or even four generations in a familiar tone with a naive style and with catchphrases that continue to be remembered and repeated in the popular saying, passed away at the age of 97as confirmed this morning by his granddaughter, Laura Gelfi.
“We are devastated but united and that’s how he left, with the united family and a lot of love,” said the granddaughter in statements made to Teleshow, in which she specified that the death occurred last night, after he suffered a decompensation and had to be hospitalized of urgency.
Emblem of the childhood of an entire era, whose validity lasted and was passed from parents to children and then to grandchildren, Carlitos Balá had been honored in 2017 in the Chamber of Deputies of the Nation for his “artistic career and his contribution to the culture popular”.
“Here came Bala”, “heaheaaaapepe” Y “What is the taste of salt?”the “sumbudrule”, the “look how I tremble”, “it’s a kilo and two buns” or “faster than a firefighter”, “seriola with a roof in case it rains”, “zazaza zazaza”, “gesture of idea”, These are just some of the phrases that he coined and that will remain etched in memory.
Born August 13, 1925 in Buenos Aires as Carlos Salim Balaa, he was one of the most recognized comedians in the history of Argentine radio and television, having also participated in numerous shows that include radio, theater, television, cinema and the circus.
Very young, his older sister tried to persuade him to dedicate himself to acting, and after making jokes in buses on the Buenos Aires line 39, where he worked, and like Carlos Valdez, he participated and won a radio contest. That pseudonym would later be replaced by a variant of his genuine shortened name and surname, Carlos Balá, who has already become immortal in the history of Argentine entertainment.
Thus, was that debuted on the radio, in the famous series “La Revista Dislocada”from Delfor (Amaranto), with whom in 1958 he fell out and later popularized his image along with Alberto Locatti and Jorge Marchesini, an acclaimed trio known for their program “Los tres…” on radio El Mundo.
With them he came to participate in “El show de Andy Russell”, to later star in “Qué plato!”, before separating definitively in 1960, joining “La Telekermesse Musical”, on Channel 7, and finally being hired by the manufacturers of Bazooka gum, to embody Joe Bazooka.
At the same time, he participated in “The Antonio Prieto Show” Y “The Paulette Christian Show” and on radio Splendid he played Jacobo Gómez, before joining -in 1962- “Telecomics”a fun collection of sketches and characters by Aldo Camarotta on Canal 9, and “Currents Street”for the 7.
After participating in “The Super 9 Show”with Mirtha Legrand and Duilio Marzio, would debut in the play “Canuto Cañete, conscript of the seven”a whole sum of successes that led him to have his own cycle and “Balamycin”with a book by Gerardo Sofovich.
Also in 1963 he would make his film debut with the big screen version of “Canuto Cañete, conscript of the seven”, directed by Leo Fleider and Julio Saraceni, with a script by Abel Santa Cruz, and in which he was accompanied by Morenita Galé, Romualdo Quiroga and Roberto Fugazot.
In 1964 his move to Channel 13 was finalized, where he starred “The Bala Soldier”again with Santa Cruz, the first step in a television career that led him to be one of the great entertainment figures of that decade and the next, with “Bala’s Bangs”from Camarotta.
will follow “The Clan of Bala”, with books by Juan Carlos Mesa, Carlos Basurto and Garaycochea; the bus “Circular Saturdays”by Nicolás “Pipo” Mancera; “Ballasadas”, “Carlitos Balá’s Circus Show”, “Carlitos Balá’s Magical Circus” and “Carlitos Balá’s Show”one after another.
In cinema he also did “Canuto Cañete and the 40 thieves”, “Canuto Cañete private detective” “This is joy”, “The girl on board”, “We are the best”, “Two crazy people in the air”, “Brigade in action” , “El uncle nonsense”, “The madness of the teacher”, “The tent of love”, “I lived with joy”, “Crazy for music” and “How beautiful is my family”, with Luis Sandrini
In 1979 he was hired to participate in the cycle “Saturdays of Kindness”hosted by Héctor Coire, on Channel 9, and returns with “El show de Carlitos Balá”, on Channel 13, which is reported by a Martín Fierro and which a year later passes to the nascent Channel 2 of La Plata, better known as Teledos.
From 1988 is his last appearance in the cinema, with the comedy “Three Merry Fugitives”by Enrique Dawi, together with Juan Carlos Altavista and Tristán.
On September 2, 2009, he was invited to the program “Justo a Tiempo”, by Julián Weich, broadcast by Telefe, where the actor promised to donate the famous “chupetometer” so that the tradition that he had started in his children’s programs of helping children to give up pacifiers would be followed. He himself said on that occasion that until now he kept it in the living room of his house and invited the boys who visited him to leave their pacifier.
The same year in which he was honored in the National Congress, in 2017, Balá also received the diploma of Illustrious Citizen in a tribute that was paid to him in the Buenos Aires Legislature.
At the beginning of that same year he had also received an Honorable Mention at the Estrella de Mar awards, while in 2016 he was honored at the Gardel awards, and he was declared “Ambassador of Peace” at the Vatican.
In terms of awards, in 2011 he was awarded the Martín Fierro for his career and in 2016 and at the same time he was received by Pope Francis at the Vatican, by virtue of having been appointed Ambassador of Peace.
However, what was perhaps the most important award was the recognition of the figures for childhoods who followed the path he had traced. It’s already with more than 80 participated in the Piñón Fijo show and in 2011 it was the children’s entertainer Panam who also called him for her shows.
“There are already four generations that follow me, counting this one from Panama. You have to understand them. They have other chiches, but they are still kids. I don’t have time to be sad, I have joys that outshine me. And I make people laugh all day. On airplanes I start dancing with the hostesses. The formula is to receive affection. I have a young spirit. Affection rejuvenates you. Everyone should receive affection, but power is ahead and nobody wants to understand it. I have the cemetery of the Recoleta and I say: ‘This is how we all end'”, Carlitos Balá had assured, in a summary of his jovial and positive spirit, before the tribute they paid him, in 2017, in the Chamber of Deputies.
