The world of Cuban humor is in mourning this Wednesday following the news of the death of Orlando Manrufo Córdova, the actor and comedian who for over three decades portrayed "Mariconchi," one of the most beloved characters in the comedic scene of the Island.
The news circulated in a WhatsApp group of Cuban comedians and was confirmed by the Centro Promotor del Humor (CPH), who expressed their condolences for the passing of Orlando Manrufo and extended their sympathies to family and friends.
In its post, the institution remembered "Mariconchi" and highlighted his interactions with the audience and the responses that amused those who interrupted him during the performances.
It was the comedian Jorge Díaz Valera who first spread the news on social media: "With deep sorrow, I have just been informed that the comedian Orlando Manrufo, better known as MARICONCHI, has passed away. My condolences to his family and friends. Rest in peace."
Other colleagues and friends quickly joined in expressing their sorrow. Marcos García wrote: "I just received very sad news. Goodbye, my dear Orlando Manrufo! Life without your antics will truly be a bit harder."
Luis Silva, known to millions of Cubans as Pánfilo, also bid farewell to the comedian on Facebook: "I just learned of the passing of the great and so charming comedian, Orlando Manrufo (Mariconchi). Sad news. My condolences to his family. To Olivia, his eldest daughter (Indirita from Vivir del cuento), with whom we worked for several years. The Teatro América was home, for many years, to La Esquina de Mariconchi. Rest in peace."
Manrufo was initially a maritime transport engineering professional, a field he studied while linked to studies in former Germany and Russia. He worked in this profession for approximately 16 years.
However, art was always his true calling. In 1988, he joined the amateur theater group "Olga Alonso," where he made his debut with the play Santa Camila de La Habana Vieja.
It was precisely within that group where "Mariconchi" was born: during an improv where Manrufo wore a wig and parodied an older woman alongside actress Laura de la Uz. Osvaldo Doimeadiós himself, founder of the CPH, suggested separating the character from the collective sketches and turning it into the star of its own monologues.
The advice proved to be spot on. With the monologue "Adventures and Misadventures of Mariconchi," Manrufo won the National Humor Festival Aquelarre award in the mid-nineties, establishing himself in the Cuban comedy scene.
Mariconchi was a sharp-tongued, hypercritical, and quarrelsome woman who satirically and cleverly commented on the everyday problems of life in Havana, becoming an uncomfortable yet entertaining mirror of the reality of the Island.
For over 25 years, Manrufo led the humor group "La Esquina de Mariconchi," which performed on Thursdays at the Teatro América and later moved to the Cine Yara in the Havana neighborhood of Vedado.
Her legacy extends beyond her own family: her daughter Olivia Manrufo Hernández played “Indirita” in the popular television program Vivir del Cuento, alongside Luis Silva himself, before emigrating to Peru in 2012.
In February of this year, just months before his death, the official newspaper Juventud Rebelde dedicated a commemorative interview celebrating 30 years of Mariconchi in the Cuban humor scene, highlighting that the comedian remained active and relevant until shortly before his passing.
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