Famous clown dies

René Jaime Amaya Martínez, who was best known as the clown “Rorrito,” died Wednesday.

Channel 66, the television station the clown worked for the last years, regretted the loss in a message posted on Facebook.

“The family of Channel 66 expresses its most sincere condolences to the Amaya Portugal family for the unfortunate death of our beloved René Jaime Amaya Martínez ‘Rorrito,’” said the channel.

Amaya was born 82 years ago in San Antonio Zomeyucan in the municipality of Naucalpan, State of Mexico.

An aspiring dancer and baseball fan, Amaya got his artistic name after female customers who purchased items at the butchery he worked at called him muñeco, or doll in Spanish, given his constant use of suits and ties at work.

The then-rookie clown found a relatively similar name — Rorrito, diminutive for rorro, a Spanish nickname women used in the 1930s to speak about a nice-looking man.

Amaya began his career almost six decades ago in a circus close to the neighborhood he lived at.

During his career, Amaya worked for some of the most famous circuses in Mexico like Circo Bell’s Hermanos, Circo Gasca and Circo Union.

He also shared stages with Mexican comedians Mario Moreno “Cantinflas” and Manuel Martínez “Palill.”

Amaya then moved to television. At Televicentro, the company now known as Televisa, he took part in the show Chocolate Lax in Mexico City. He eventually moved to Channel 4 Guadalajara and 42 years ago arrived at Mexicali, launching his show “El Circo de Rorrito” in Televisa’s Channel 3.

Amaya was let go by Televisa in 1999 and immediately visited Luis Arnoldo Cabada, owner and general manager of rival station Channel 66.

Cabada said in a phone interview that a tearful Amaya asked him to consider having the clown’s show at his station. Rapidly, the manager accepted the offer.

“He wanted to keep doing his job. He was part of our family,” Cabada said in Spanish. “He made laugh to children and adults and gave his heart and soul here at Channel 66.”

Recently, Amaya was paid homage at Mexicali’s State Theatre, at which he was absent due to illness.

Last week, Amaya went into surgery and rumors about his health condition went viral on social media.

Cabada recalled that Rorrito took part in every altruistic activity his company held — from Día de Reyes toy delivery to distributing free school items at the beginning of school year and giving a helping hand to the 623 disabled children who receive therapy at the channel’s orthopedic center.

Cabada said “Cara de Carne” — or face of flesh in English, a phrase Amaya jokingly used to referring people — was especially involved in an activity called “Mexicali is on its feet” after the Easter earthquake of 2010, when the station collected and delivered 123 tons of food, water and other items among the most impacted Mexicali Valley residents.

The city of Mexicali considered Amaya part of its Historical Patrimony. — Arturo Bojorquez, abojorquez@ivpressonline.com