Spanish jokes, cultural references and bursts of laughter filled downtown Gainesville’s The Wooly on Friday night as comedian Angelo Colina took the stage for a stand-up set.
Originally from Venezuela, Colina now lives in New York City and is the founder of Gente Funny, one of the most successful Spanish-language comedy showcases in the U.S.
He’s performed his Spanish-language stand-up in more than 30 states and at venues such as Teatro Tapia in Puerto Rico, Park West Chicago and Gramercy Theatre. He was also among the first Spanish-language headliners at the New York Comedy Festival in 2023 and 2024, as well as Netflix Is A Joke 2024.
The night opened with Ramiro Gonzalez, a Cuban comedian whose jokes draw on his experience as an immigrant.
About 15 minutes later, Colina took the stage and was welcomed with applause and enthusiasm from the audience.
Throughout his one-hour set, he joked about the similarities and differences between Latin American countries, pointing out how some words make sense in one place but mean something completely different in another.
With a crowd from across Latin America, some jokes landed faster with certain audience members, but Colina always explained the context, keeping everyone laughing.
Daniel Escalona, a 29-year-old Gainesville resident, said he attended the show with friends because he was already familiar with Colina’s work.
Originally from Valencia, Venezuela, he also came to support “his people,” he said, since he and Colina share the same nationality.
“Events like this are the best. Latinos should always stick together,” Escalona said.
Eunice Santiago, a 42-year-old Gainesville resident, attended the event with her husband, who enjoys comedy shows.
Originally a nanny from Puerto Rico, she said events like this help bring the Latino community together while giving people a chance to have fun. She added that she especially enjoyed Colina’s imitation of Puerto Ricans.
“We loved it,” Santiago said “It’s the first time I’ve seen him, because I don’t follow him, but my husband does. I really liked the show.”Jossie Barroso, a 35-year-old Tallahassee resident who works in communications, said she follows Colina on social media and traveled to see a Latino comedian perform.
She said her favorite part of the show was seeing Latinos gather in one place and hearing Colina joke about different Latin American cultures.
“We're here, we're proud of it … it's important to show people that we're here and we're gonna stay here,” Barroso said.
Another Venezuelan, 29-year-old Samantha Garcia-Bracho, has lived in the U.S. for 14 years, originally from Valencia, Venezuela.
The Gainesville resident said she often sees Colina on Instagram Reels and viewed the show as an opportunity to support Venezuelan talent.
Garcia-Bracho added many Venezuelan comedians tend to perform in larger Florida cities such as Orlando, Jacksonville or Miami, but rarely in Gainesville.
“I really appreciate that he made the effort to come here,” Garcia-Bracho said. “He’s a well-known comedian, and it’s a source of pride that he came to Gainesville because we truly value it.”
Contact Ornella Moreno at omoreno@alligator.org. Follow her on X @ornellamorenom.
Ornella Moreno is a senior journalism student with a concentration in psychology in her first semester at The Alligator. She covers El Caiman Ave. Previously, she worked as a radio anchor for WUFT Noticias. In her free time, Ornella enjoys doing yoga, reading and going to the movies.
