Argelio García Rodríguez

He achieved great artistic accomplishments, both nationally and internationally. He was a faithful representative of Cuban popular roots, as his humor was imbued with a very creole roguishness, full of wit, mental agility, and double meaning.

A man who, through his charisma, left his mark as he passed through this world and who lives forever in the memory of the people who knew him, thus demonstrating his status as a consecrated artist.

He was born in El Almendrón, belonging to the town of El Jíbaro, and is the son of this land who has achieved the greatest artistic laurels, both national and international.

The first person captured by a television camera in Sancti Spíritus was the brilliant humorist from Sancti Spíritus Argelio García Rodríguez, (Chaflán), who promoted in 1950 this new medium of communication in a closed circuit set up at the exclusive society El Progreso –today the Rubén Martínez Villena library– before the astonished presence of hundreds of curious onlookers from Sancti Spíritus, who did not know that they would pass –though anonymously– into history, being the first television viewers of the city of Yayabo.

In 1954, the CMHP became property of Horacio Santana Padrón and Ramón Pomes Paltre, known as Radio Nacional de Placetas. Already in 1955, it was purchased by Horacio Santana Padrón and Argelio García Rodríguez (Chaflán). In this last stage they worked as announcers: Carlos Pina Méndez, Oscar Duardo Alfonso, Argelio García Rodríguez, Ramón Fraga, and Erasmo Nuñez Lorenzo.

As journalists, Héctor Salina Madrigal (editor) and Cheo Roadi Buere stood out, as news director. Audio operators were: Antonio Depedro, Jesús Milían, Juan Fortín, Marcos Antonio Cabrera, Pablo González, Pedro J. Domínguez Iturria, and Enrique Milín Dabalza.

This renowned artist died on June 27, 1992, in the city of Santa Clara.