CARLITOS BALÁ

The demise of comedian Carlitos Balá saddens us but we remember him with a smile and with echoes of his wisecracks created by his sparkling wit. He was the reigning master of healthy humour, resorting to his inner child to amuse without any vulgarity at all.

I remember his ‘Petronilo,’ a rural simpleton who comes to Buenos Aires and, instead of being fooled by the arrogant city folks, ends up outsmarting them with a punchline that renders them speechless and with wide open eyes as if admitting defeat. The city-dweller – with that air of superiority of an urban Mr. Know-it-all – was always undone by Petronilo despite his seeming backwardness. Rumour has it that Balá created his own stories and that he followed his scripts to the letter. Though looking spontaneous on stage, everything had been carefully thoughtout and rehearsed. This profesionalism commanded respect from parents who entrusted their children to him as his artistry had the underlying message that we may laugh at somebody else’s expense without being rude or hurting those who are the butt of our jokes.

Adrian Insaubralde, Santa Fe