Who was Carlitos Bala? Tributes pour in as renowned Argentinian comedian dies aged 97

Comedian, actor, musician, and children’s entertainer, Carlitos Bala passed away on September 22 at the age of 97. His granddaughter Laura Gelfi revealed the news and said,

Before his death, Bala was admitted to the Guemes Sanatorium and was under observation. During a recent broadcast of LAM, panelist Estefania Berardi said that Carlitos was feeling unwell in the afternoon and that his family members decided to take him to the hospital after speaking to his primary care physicians.

Meanwhile, his health history remains unknown, and there is no information on whether he was suffering from any other health issues in the past.

Netizens pay tribute to Carlitos Bala on Twitter

Carlitos Bala was a symbol of childhood for many generations. Following his death, fans paid tribute to him on Twitter:

Everything known about Carlitos Bala

Born on August 13, 1925, Carlitos Bala was a well-known actor and an expert in children’s entertainment. He gained recognition for his bowl-cut hairstyle and catchphrases.

He was part of a weekly television show focused on children’s entertainment, equivalent to Piluso and Pepito. The main cast of the show also included an invisible dog, Angueto. He was also popular for his performances in many family-oriented films.

Bala started his career on radio and later joined the world of television. He was a member of the Bala, Marchesini, and Locatti trio and visited Pope Francis in Vatican City in 1991, eventually being declared the Ambassador of Peace in Rome.

His Arc de Triomf work was inaugurated by architect Ruben Diaz in March 2019 in the Alberti neighborhood of Ituzaingo in Fleming and Brussels. One of his most remembered phrases is: “What does salt taste like? !!” to which everyone replied, “Salaaaaado!!!”.

Bala got the idea in 1969 on an afternoon at Mar del Plata when a boy looked at him, and Bala pretended that he did not see him. He shouted and asked about the taste of the sea and continued, “Ahhh, the sea tastes like salt. But what does salt taste like?” The boy then answered that it was salty.

Carlitos’ father, Mustafa Balaa, was a butcher in Beirut, while his mother’s name was Juana Boglich Catturich. His grandfather Nicolas was from Austria and his grandmother Felicia was from Uruguay. His survivors include his children, Laura Balaa and Martin Balaa.

About the author

Anupal is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda with a degree in Political Science. He developed a keen interest in the lives of celebrities, films, TV shows, and box office collections since an early age. After accumulating significant experience as a content writer across varied fields at companies such as The Indian Wire, DigiStatement, and QuirkyByte Media, he eventually settled on writing about his favorite genre - pop culture.

Anupal believes in conducting in-depth research while writing about any topic and relies on varied sources to ensure he produces holistic articles. He also often glances through content that was published in the 80s and 90s to gain a better understanding of the subject he is covering.

Anupal admires Robert Downey Jr., who played one of his favorite Marvel superheroes, Iron Man. He is inspired by the actor's resilience and the determination in overcoming past struggles to building a successful Hollywood career and admires the way he articulates his thoughts while speaking in interviews.

If Anupal could travel back in time, he would love to experience James Cameron's 2009 film 'Avatar' in a theatre full of fans. When he's not busy working, he binges on the latest OTT titles across languages.

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