Event to celebrate the life and career of acclaimed Cuban comedian Leopoldo Fernandez
Miami, Aug. 16, 2016 – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) West Campus will host Cosa Más Grande: Memories of the Legendary Tres Patines (Memorias del legendario Tres Patines), a tribute event to honor internationally-acclaimed Cuban comedian/actor Leopoldo Fernandez, better known as Tres Patines. Presented as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, the opening ceremony will take place Monday, Sept. 19, starting at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public.
The opening ceremony will feature an exhibition of personal artifacts and photographs of the late comedian, audio recordings of his radio and TV broadcasts, portraits painted by well-known local artists, musicians playing songs written by Fernandez himself, the Cristina Masdueños’ dancers, and the showing of the film Olé Cuba, which is considered by some as one of the best examples of Cuban society in the 1950s.
Cuban musicians Vitico Valdes, Jorge Triana, and Bobby Ramirez will interpret Fernandez’s most popular compositions, including Ahorita Va a Llover. Portraits and caricatures of Fernandez will be showcased by local artists Mariana Altamirano, Aristide, Yovani Bauta, Gustavo Garcia, Garrincha, Pedro Hernandez, Esther Mendoza, Armando Mejias, Alex Morales, Jose Riera, Emilio Rodriguez, Rogelio Serrano, and Rafael Montilla.
Fernandez is best known for his character “Jose Calendario Tres Patines,” depicting a perpetual and comic criminal, on the radio show La Tremenda Corte, launched in Cuba in the 1940s. He also created the character “Pototo,” who appeared on television in El Show de Pototo y Filomeno. In 1959, Fernandez was exiled to Miami, where he continued performing in theaters, television, and movies throughout the U.S. and Latin America. He is widely regarded as being one of the most popular comedians in Hispanic culture. To this date, radio, as well as TV programs that were filmed in Mexico and Peru in the 1960s are still broadcasted.
The exhibition will remain on display through Oct. 14.