"Chamaco" against the "coronabug"

April 15, 2021

With humor and poetry, the country can be saved from coronavirus or at least an attempt can be made to get people to take the necessary measures to preserve their health in this difficult stage.

That is the intention of Chamaquili and the Pandemic, a group of capsules that premiered on Cuban television and social networks in recent weeks, where actors from the popular children's theater group perform texts from the new book of the same name by Cuban writer and improviser Alexis Díaz Pimienta.

The videos –whose protagonist is a young actor– present a child who has not stopped entertaining himself despite mandatory confinement within his home; he sometimes plays alone or with his little sister, and also talks on the phone with a friend.

On some occasions he wears a mambí hat with the Cuban flag, a symbol of the entire nation fighting against Covid-19. The little boy delivers an entertaining, lighthearted speech. What is coronavirus? That is the first question he asks himself and the answer speaks of the arrogance and evil of this invisible enemy that has caused so much harm.

His images move, touch, teach, entertain and reach all kinds of audiences. Through them, tribute is paid to the heroes who face SARS-COV2, such as Doctor Durán, who "is wise and a good person." Chamaquili also makes us reflect on the importance of cleanliness, social distancing, and getting vaccinated.

It invites us to have fun with the way it shows situations that can be uncomfortable, such as wearing a mask, but also to feel great gratitude for this garment that has been a defender of our health.

Thus, the little one expresses with humor: "Dad, what if we think about the good things about masks/ For example, you don't shave and they don't see your sideburns/ And mom goes to work and sometimes doesn't even wear makeup/ And if you have to cry you cry (you already have a tissue on your cheeks) […] And when this bug dies and this nightmare ends, we have to declare one day a year 'Mask Day'…"

When the actor says something funny he smiles; when speaking about "that little bug that has crowns all over it" he draws it on a sheet of paper, but then verbally fights with it, gets angry, challenges it and crosses it out of the sheet.

The boy confronts Covid-19 face to face because he knows he will defeat it, of course only if he listens to everything his "Dads" and Doctor Durán advise him.

Even the most serious spectator would be amused to hear the monologue that says: "The day I find him, do you know what I'll do Dad?/ I'll call him so many names that he'll even get a complex:/ Evilbug, Monsterbug, Microdumbass, Satan/, Invisible Mummy, Bugissimo/ False king of the beyond…". "And he's going to get so angry that he'll never come back/ he'll become even smaller than he already seems/ He'll lose his crowns, he'll be nothing but a virus…"

Hopefully these last words become reality, which fill with hope all of us who wish this pandemic to disappear. Let us imitate Chamaquili in his struggle to end the "coronabug." It is a matter of life and death. And if you have not yet enjoyed these audiovisuals, you still have time to do so, I assure you that the poetry and fine humor present in them will be two allies that will addict you and turn you into a more responsible person.

Watch all episodes of Chamaquili at La Colmenita De Cuba - YouTube