Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Who Are Those Guys? ~ Chiquito de la Calzada

 

Gregorio Esteban Sánchez Fernández was born on May 28, 1932, in Málaga, Málaga, Andalucía, Spain. He was known by his stage name Chiquito de la Calzada, and was a Spanish flamenco singer and actor, although he rose to fame as a stand-up comedian.

Chiquito de la Calzada became very popular on Spanish TV shows (especially ‘Genio y figura’) during the mid-1990s due to his unique style, strongly based on a surreal and histrionic approach to jokes and language, and constant gesticulation and movement while telling his jokes, placing his hands on his waist as if he had lower backache. Some of his characteristic words and expressions such as Fistro or Jarl, as well as his humorous lines or hyperbolic comparisons such as "you work less than Tarzan's tailor" quickly became memes and are now part of Spanish slang.

His moves and jargon were so influential to other Spanish comedians, that some TV characters such as Crispín Klander, Lucas Grijander and Nuñito de la Calzada were entirely built around his image, style and influence. There is a mod for the video game Doom featuring his voice.

On October 14, 2017, he fell in his home, and he was rescued by firemen and hospitalized in Málaga. He recuperated favorably but on October 31st he returned to be hospitalized in Hospital Carlos Haya of Málaga, with chest pains and he underwent blood tests. Finally, his condition stabilized. Then on November 10, 2017, his health worsened, so he was induced into a coma and was moved to the intensive care unit. There he died on November 11, 2017, from complications of cardiac catheterization.

On 18 February 2019, he received the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes.

Chiquito appeared and starred in one Spaghetti western as Condemor in “Here Comes Condemor (The Sinner of the Plains)” in 1996.

de la CALZADA, Chiquito (Gregorio Esteban Sánchez Fernández) [5/28/1932, Málaga, Málaga, Andalucía, Spain - 11/11/2017, Málaga, Málaga Spain (angina)] – film, TV actor, comedian, married to Josefa ‘Pepita’ García Gómez [1927-2012] (1950-2012).

Here Comes Condemor (The Sinner of the Plains) – 1996 (Condemor)

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