Chiquito de la Calzada: Google honors Spanish stand-up comedian on his 90th Birthday

Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers. Proceed with caution if you have not watched the show/movie.

Happy Birthday, Chiquito de la Calzada!

Google doodle on May 28, to celebrate Chiquito de la Calzada, the stand-up comedian. He is also known as flamenco singer and acting.

Chiquito de la Calzada became very popular in Spanish TV shows (especially Genio y figura) during the mid-nineties due to his unique style, strongly based on a surreal approach to jokes and language and constant movement while telling his jokes, putting his hands in his waist as if he was in pain. Some of his characteristic words and expressions such as fistro or jarl as well as his humorous comparisons such as "this is more dangerous than a shooting in an elevator" quickly became memes and are now part of Spanish slang.

Chiquito de la Calzada was born as Gregorio Esteban Sánchez Fernández on this day in 1932, Chiquito’s brilliant comedic style has widely influenced Spanish comedians and entertainers to this day.

As children, Fernández and his two brothers grew up in poverty in post-Civil War Spain in La Calzada de la Trinidad. He began singing and dancing flamenco at eight years old to help feed his family. During this time he received his stage name, Chiquito de la Calzada.

After overhearing Fernández tell jokes at a nearby table, Summers offered him a part in an upcoming comedy show airing on Antena 3, a major Spanish television station. The new show was called Genio y figura, and the production team thought Summers was making a mistake by casting an unknown 62-year-old man. Summers took a chance on Fernández anyway and he was sure glad he did.

Soon after the show aired, Fernández transformed into an instant star. Spaniards from all walks of life found his comedic timing, clever puns, and exaggerated movements irresistibly funny. Over the next two decades, Fernández developed an original comedic style that continues to influence Spanish comedians and TV characters today.

In 2019, the Ministry of Culture of Spain recognized his cultural impact by awarding him a Medalla de Oro al mérito en las Bellas Artes (Gold Medal of Merit in Fine Arts).

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