A captivating narrative of adversity, resilience, and triumph unfolds in a telenovela centered on the Colombian cycling champion Rigoberto Uran, played by Colombian actor, Juan Pablo Urrego. Although created for entertainment, it certainly portrays the spirit of the Paisa community, highlighting its vibrant traditions, energetic sense of humor, and funny accent.
The telenovela offers a deeper perspective of professional cycling, including their daily life and habits. It highlights stories and scenes from his dad, who was taken away during a rough time of violence in Colombia; the bike that was always by his side, even in the toughest moments; and Michelle, the girl who captured his heart since he was a child.
However, “Rigo” is more than just cycling. It’s about anyone who’s ever dreamed big and faced challenges to get there. It explores themes of family, perseverance, and overcoming adversities. In the series, you can witness Rigo’s struggles with lack of opportunities, poverty, and injuries. It shows that with passion and effort, anything is possible, no matter the barriers life puts in front of you.
Also, it uses fictional characters to make the series more engaging.
“The combination of fiction and reality made the series so great because there were always problems and obstacles, but his relationships made it easier to overcome them. The aspects outside the racetrack were the most relevant to the story because they helped the audience understand all the suffering and effort each race meant for him,” Ambar Alvarez, senior, said.
In addition to Rigo and his family, one crucial character is “Michelle,” played by Ana María Estupiñán. Michelle stands as the love of Rigo’s life, serving as a source of motivation throughout his career. Furthermore, she symbolizes the obstacles that can be overcome for someone and illustrates that love has no limits. Also, it has characters such as “Carmelo” and “Evaristo Rendon” played by Emmanuel Restrepo and Julian Arango which are fictional characters that make Rigo’s life impossible but at the same time make the novel interesting and humorous.
Furthermore, it is fascinating and familiar to see how people live in Antioquia’s towns. Alvarez described that what grabbed her attention the most was how they “portray paisas overall, the way paisa families act and communicate, and how people coexist in “Los pueblos”. It shows a perfect representation of a paisa living during that time in a little town.”
This series bursts every Colombian heart when showing its music, traditions, accent, idiosyncrasy, and never-give-up spirit. Senior, Pablo Escandon, highlights that “it shows that people in Colombia, despite their poor background and lack of opportunities always fight to reach their goals so they are always really forward-looking.
In addition, most importantly, it is beneficial since it serves to become aware of Colombia’s history, marked by significant violence. One of the hardest and most impacting scenes in the telenovela was the death of Rigo’s dad, Rigoberto Uran. This episode made the audience understand the reality of the violence lived in Colombia during the 80s and 90s and how the civilians were the ones most affected. It can be seen how people lived in constant fear since the “paramilitares” and “guerrillas” were almost competing who kill more.
Even though being a well-ranked series, it has its critics. Colombian “telenovelas” tend to be descriptive and focus on every character’s life. This happens with “Rigo” since there are times when they get detailed and dive deep into the characters’ lives. However, some audience critics say that the show’s expressive style makes the series have a slow pace, affecting engagement.
Despite this, “Rigo” is an outstanding series that holds widespread appeal for all Colombians. For viewers wanting an enjoyable and entertaining series, this one is highly recommended and a must-watch. This telenovela is live every day at 8:00 pm on Canal RCN or on Amazon Prime.
“Rigo is a series I have recommended to all my friends and family because if you are Colombian and especially paisa then this series will leave a mark in your heart. The show is great, the storyline is awesome and the characters are perfect, the television each day is bringing a piece of Colombian culture into our country,” Alvarez said.
