From Chilean Circus Family to World Famous Human Cannonball - with Chachi 'The Rocketman' Valencia

Latin America Correspondent Jon Bonfiglio speaks to the man and the legend Chachi Valencia about his heritage, life, and the future of human cannonballs. 

To see Chachi in action, copy and paste the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZFmBvQsYys

Transcript

Jon Bonfiglio: 0:01

Hi everyone and welcome back to the Latin America Correspondent with me, Jonathan Bon figlio. And today I'm delighted to say that we're joined by the legend that is, Chachi the Rocketman Valencia, who has performed as a human cannonball at across the world's biggest events. Not only was he the 2012 London Olympics jaw-dropping, and it really was, end to the closing ceremony, televised to billions of people around the globe, but he was also the secret weapon in uh Rio de Janeiro's 2014 carnival competition, witnessed by an audience also of millions, becoming the first person ever to be shot six times in 40 minutes atop a giant moving float. Now there's a thing, and I'm sure we're going to get to a point at which we discuss that. Chachi is also regular at fairs and amusement parks uh across the USA where he flies through the air at speeds of 55 miles an hour, reaches heights of over 65 feet, and distances of 160, 170 feet. Uh, Chachi also comes from a long line of uh Chilean circus artists, known internationally and performing globally. He's part of a six-generation circus dynasty from Chile, uh, deeply connected to the country's rich family tradition circus, recently recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage. Chachi, it's a delight to have you on the show. Welcome.

Chachi Valencia: 1:17

Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure.

Jon Bonfiglio: 1:19

Chachi, maybe we can start with uh your family and your circus heritage. Can you just tell us a little bit about what growing up in a circus family was like? And I guess for you, it's always been part of the fabric of who it is that you are.

Chachi Valencia: 1:32

Yeah, I mean, I come from a six, like you mentioned, a sixth generation of circus performers. Um yeah, uh, you know, seeing my uncles and my father and a family perform every day, uh, it was a pretty uh incredible thing, you know. Um it when you're born in the circus like that, I mean, you know, you don't think about any doing anything else but you know, circus. So um so it was great. I mean, and you as a young circus performer, you know, you when you grow up in the circus with a family, you know, you you uh you mature a lot quicker. You know, you have a lot more experience, you have a lot more uh responsibilities. You know, I started performing, I think when I was like seven years old, you know, I was already out there performing with my with my parents, my family. So so yeah, uh I I wouldn't change it for the world. It was a great experience uh growing up in in this business, you know.

Jon Bonfiglio: 2:38

And is your family obviously you're um now predominantly uh you perform and live in in the US? Do you still have roots and sort of heritage and um connections to the the Chilean part of the Chilean part of the circus family?

Chachi Valencia: 2:54

No, you know, um the last time I was in Chile, I was like two years old. And uh yeah, and my family after we left Chile, it was actually doing the the Allende Pinoche time, you know, where a lot of Chileans were leaving, and uh I mean that wasn't the reason why we left. We just happened to be out of the country when all that went down in in the country, but just shortly after we uh my parents got a contract here to come to the US, and so we all came over here and and then we kind of left that behind us. Um, you know, I have just some families from my mother's side, which they weren't from the circus business. My mom's side was not from the circus business. So the only relatives I really have are her relatives, like some cousins, distant cousins. Uh her sister, I think, still lives down there in sweet uh in uh in Chile. So we really don't have that um you know that family connection still left in Chile.

Jon Bonfiglio: 4:02

Yeah, and so often when we yeah. So often when there's a big move like that, that there's a there's a rupture, especially when there's such a such a time of political difficulty as there was during the whole IEN Pinochet thing that to actually maintain maintain links would be harder than uh than to than to not than to start, of course, all over again. Chachi, how how does your relationship with rockets start? Where does that where does that begin? What does that look like?

Chachi Valencia: 4:28

Well, when I was 18 years old, I actually met a young lady in the circus. Uh she was actually there uh helping her cousin, who was a human cannonball. So my ex-wife's uncle uh was a human cannonball too, and he's the one that built these cannons. And um shortly after we got married, uh my ex-wife asked her uncle if he could build us a cannon so we could tour. And uh so he did. He built us a cannon. And uh and my ex-wife and I, we used to uh we used to travel, uh you know, we used to work in like I do now, festival circuses. Uh so but for for like 20 years or so, I was actually the one that was shot my ex-wife out of the cannon. I I wasn't able to shoot out of the cannon because this cannon was a very small cannon and it was built for a woman, her woman physique. So I couldn't really go out of the cannon. So for like like I mentioned, for 20 years, I just used to shoot my ex-wife out of the cannon. You know, that's that's how I got into it, you know, and uh and then uh uh shortly after we started touring in America, we got a contract to to work in Europe. So we were in Europe for another, you know, like 15 to 20 years, just performing all over Europe uh her human cannonball. Even at that time, I was I was just uh the guy who fixed up the cannon, the technician of the cannon, and I would shoot her out. So that's really how I started in the cannon business. Not really by shooting getting shot out, you know.

Jon Bonfiglio: 6:23

And that obviously necessarily develops a huge level of skills for you as well and know-how. One of the things which always fascinated me about um the sort of human cannonball industry, if you like, is the sort of this the necessarily sort of secretive mechanics of cannons and how it's sort of technology that is always very very private and sort of kept within a sort of a sealed unit.

Chachi Valencia: 6:49

You're absolutely uh correct. Uh the human cannonball, people that do human cannonballs, they're very protective of their of their machines. You know what I mean? And there's many, very, many very variables in the type of machine that uh cannon that you can use. There's many different kinds and they're all different. But uh every every canon person is very secretive of their you know, and I was very secretive of it because of when I when now that I do the canon, I'm very secret of it because I didn't I didn't build this canon, I didn't invent this canon. You know what I mean? This this canon that I use was built by my ex-wife's uncle. So I felt that I I didn't have the right to be showing other people somebody else's idea, somebody else who spent many years just trying to figure this out. And and I can tell you a little bit of a story of how I kind of started the being getting shot out myself, and um and uh uh it was my my wife's uncle uh how how it worked out that I started shooting was I I just happened to come back from Europe shooting my ex-wife out of the cannon, and we didn't have any more work for the winter months. So I would come back to the US uh because she would, my kid, my daughters, and and she lived in in Paris, in France. So I when I when we didn't have work in Europe, I would come to the States and then I would uh try to find any kind of work just to you know to pay the bills, whatever we had to do. And I just happened to be working on a show. I was just there helping. I wasn't part of performing at all, I was just there helping on one uh an event, and it just happened to be that my ex-wife's uncle with the canon was there performing in this event, and I hadn't seen him for years. I hadn't seen him, so it was great. It was great to see him and everything, and then uh the first show of the of this event, everything was fine. Then the second show of this event, he shot out, and what he did, you have to do a revolution, you have to do like a flip, so you can because you leave with your head first, so you but you have to land with with uh with your feet facing the same way that you shot out, so you have to do like a flip in the air, and what happened is he was in working in a low building, so his angle was really low. So what happens is he over-turned and he landed not flat on his back, but he landed more like on his feet. And what happened is he broke his ankle, and this was a man who had a 40-year human cannonball career, he never had an injury in his life, and then all of a sudden he just shot that day and he overturned and he landed on his foot with his foot first on the net and he broke his ankle, and and I was there watching everything. I was there watching everything. So, what happened is after he landed, we knew something was wrong. We brought him down from the net, we carried him onto the backstage and waiting for the ambulance to come because he had broken his ankle, like in several places. Uh, so he was there waiting, and somebody told me, uh, his name is uh David Smith. David Smith is over there, he he wants to talk to you. So I walked over there and I said, Yes, Dave, what can I help you with? Is there something you need? He said, Do you think you could do the canon for me? Because I still have contracts for the rest of the year, but it's gonna, it's I'm gonna be out for at least six months. Is there any way you think you could do the canon for me? And without even thinking, yes, I've never done it before, I said yes. So the very next day he came back from the hospital and in his crutches, and uh he just told me what I had to do. And we did a couple of shots like in practice, and then that same night I was already performing the canon. And it's funny because that the first two shots that I did, I didn't even see the net. You know, I just came out and it was like if I had my eyes closed, maybe I had my eyes closed. But both shots in practice, I had no idea where the net is. I'm a I'm an acrobat, you know, I've been an acrobat, flying trapeze guy, all this stuff for all my life. So I kind of know my body, control of my body in the air, but I didn't see the net. So I knew that I was in the wrong position when I landed in the nets, but I did it. However, I did it, I did it. And then that the next night in the evening was our my very first show performing in the show, getting shot out of the cannon. And and when I came out of the cannon, man, I was actually for the first time, I actually saw the net coming towards me, you know. So, and that's how I started. That's exactly how I started. I took over for him for the rest of the six months that he had contracts for, and then um then when the six months was over, he start he already had recovered and he started doing the canon. And at the end of the year, he's like, he calls me one day and he told me, Um, the next event that I have is my last event. I'm retiring, and uh, where do you want me to bring the canon? Because I'm giving it to you so you can continue. And that's how I started, man. And that's how I started. Then I just took I took over the canon, and then here I am, still doing it. That's how it happened. It was almost like something, yeah, it was like almost like something like this is what you're supposed to be doing in your life. It was like I was in the States, I didn't have, I was just helping out, just doing odd jobs here and there. Happened to be go to a circus and I was just helping there, make trying to make some extra money. Just happened to be David Smith there. Hadn't seen him in like six, seven years. And then 40 years he's been doing the canon, he never got hurt, but he gets hurt there that day when I was there, just happened to be there, you know, and then um, next thing I know, two days later, I'm I'm the human cannonball covering covering for him, and then from then on I just continued, and that's how it happened.

Jon Bonfiglio: 13:34

That is really amazing. And since then, of course, you've I mean, of course, you'd already traveled a lot, but since then you've performed all over the world. I mentioned in the in the intro, of course, the the London Olympics and then Rio and stuff. When you when you sort of stop and think, I mean, you've obviously been tried out of the canon now many, many times. Uh when you sort of stop and think of the the most um I guess uh memorable moments or memorable events that you've participated at, what what were those, what comes to mind for you?

Chachi Valencia: 14:08

I think it was the Olympics, really. I think it was that that show, that closing ceremonies of the Olympics. I remember after it was all done, after it was done, and they they told me, oh, you gotta go out there and do the finale, the final finale where all the performers come out and all the all the athletes are there and the fireworks are going. I remember standing there in the middle of the stadium with you know a hundred thousand people, whatever it was in the stadium, and all the athletes and all the performers and stuff looking up at the fireworks and thinking, man, I can't is this for real? Am I really here? Did this really just happen? Like one of those, like, hey, this seems unreal, really. You know, I'm gonna wake up and I'm gonna be like, oh, it was just like a dream or something, you know. But but yeah, that was pretty amazing. I was like, you know, wow, not too many circus performers can say that they performed at the Olympics, you know, and stuff. So it was kind of it was a big privilege, yeah, to do it, you know. But it was hectic. It was hectic as hell. I mean, you know, everything got my net, everything got set up the last minute. I mean, and for that Olympics games, it was so much security. It was like you couldn't really like enjoy it because you were like confined to uh I was just pretty much confined to where the cannon was located, and I just hung out there, so it's not like you hung out or got to see any of the the incredible performers there. And and you know, the only thing I regret, John, to tell you the truth, is that I was I had so much adrenaline after I actually got shot, and then the Royals were there. I just performed in front of the Royals. You know, I'm at the Olympics, billions of people watching around the world in this huge stadium that I didn't turn around because it was during Eric Idol's performance that I did the cannon. You know, when he sings uh that famous song, uh you know, he has that famous song he sings, and the cannon shot was during that. So it was I was just part of his his uh his show, Eric Idol's show, that I didn't turn around and acknowledge him, like, you know, gave him like a salute to him, you know. I was just like, when I got down from the net, I was so pumped up that I just put my hands up and I forgot everything, you know, that I should turn around and acknowledge him, that I'm just part of his, you know, kind of uh his act kind of thing. That's the only thing I regret is not acknowledging him, you know, because Was the song uh always look on the bright side of life? Was it a that it was that one, exactly? Yeah, it was exactly that you know, it was he did that whole thing and he sang that song, and then at the end I would, you know, I shot out of the cannon, like to finish that off. But I when I got down from the net, I should have acknowledged him, you know. I I was just like I had so much adrenaline pumping, and it was, you know, yeah, it and it it was so fast, it was like, yeah.

Jon Bonfiglio: 17:28

Taji, you and I but it was a great experience. Uh no, I can imagine. I can imagine absolutely, and and like you say, like a genuinely global audience of of billions of of people. Um you and I spoke for the first time. Like I first came across you um after your your accident, and that's where we spoke for the first time about a year ago and sort of got in got in touch. Um maybe we can just come to that. I mean, I'm sure you've had many accidents in in the past, but that that moment for you was um was a difficult moment, right? I mean, partly because, of course, yeah, as with um sort of previously uh mentioned, the uncle of your of your ex-wife and and his accident um and the sort of continuity of work, but also because uh you you took a real physical hit during that accident.

Chachi Valencia: 18:19

Yeah, um, yeah, I did, and you know, it's funny because I remember hitting the thinking to myself as I was flying out, I was thinking, man, the wind is really moving me to the right of the net. And then it and then everything happened so fast, and I felt when I landed on the net where I hit the the edge of the net on my ribs, which broke, that's when it broke, broke my ribs. Uh, I was like, man, that really hurt. But then from then, uh, John, I really don't remember that much. It must have really like kind of knocked me out because the what I remember the next time I remember anything was I was actually in the ambulance and they were trying to take my costume off, but they were trying to cut it. And I was I remember telling them, please don't cut my costume. You know, these it's not like I can just go buy a new costume at at a store, you know what I mean? We make these costumes, and it takes a while because it's special material and it's a special costume for the cannon. So I was like, I remember just uh asking the the medic in the in the van when I was being transported to the to the emergency room that that if he can just take the clothes off of me instead of cutting them, but they ended up cutting them anyways. So the actual fall, John, I don't remember that much about it because I think once I hit the side of the the net on my ribs, that kind of knocked me out, you know what I mean? So I from then on, like I said, I the last time. I kind of remember anything. I was I was in the ambulance already, you know, so it was like, yeah. Yeah, I mean, and like I said, I've been there, I've had a few injuries, you know. Um in the circus business or in any business in the cannon business, there's really only two of us that do these kind of long shots. There's other cannons out there that are smaller, they do a much shorter shot. They go about half the height that I go. Um, and they use like airbags, you know what I mean? So so the shots that the only ones that do these kind of long, really long shots are myself and David Smith, my wife's uncle, uh, my ex-wife's uncle's son. We're the only two that do these kind of long, long shots. And when you're when you do these kind of long shots where you go so high and so long, the wind, any kind of wind affects you, you know what I mean? So that's really what I was okay with it after I I I got hurt because I knew it was nothing that I did myself or that it was because of the cannon. It was just I happen to get hit with 35, 40 mile an hour gust of wind, just at the perfect time when I'm in the air, and I'm um, and when you're at the peak of the flight, that's when your body is weightless. So the wind put can push you like like nothing, you know what I mean? So I knew I was okay with everything because I knew it was because some fluke thing that happened that the wind just happened to hit me at the a gust of wind happened to hit me at the right time, at uh right, you know, I don't know how that word is at the wrong place at the at the right time, at the wrong place. You know, it just happened to hit me that there, and that's what happened, and you know, I knew it was nothing that I did or anything that the machine did. I knew it was just something, you know, that can happen.

Jon Bonfiglio: 22:09

Um and my understanding is well, you've just mentioned that there's two of you, just two of you doing these these long shots. It it's it's a dwindling tradition, of course. Um at some point there's gonna be the moment where you say enough's enough, no more. You hang up your your rocket suit. Um are there is there a new generation in the wings or or do you think it's it's a it's a tradition which is slowly coming to an end?

Chachi Valencia: 22:40

I mean in the last couple of years, uh six years, I've noticed there's been a couple of a couple other canon canon acts have arised, you know, but not by a new generation, just by other people that changed, you know, changed their profession like from let's say an acrobat to a human cannonball, something like that, you know. Um I to tell you the truth, John, I don't know if there's a new generation coming up because you know, I don't really keep up with all the other cannons that are out there. You know, I I kind of do my own thing, and you know, I really don't know, you know, what's my you know what's my competition or anything. I I kind of just do my own thing and um um but I'm not sure. I'm not sure if I mean it seems like maybe it's starting to fade away the the human cannonball kind of a thing, you know. I think I'm not sure you're still there, you're still there, and as long as you're still there that tradition is it I try to do it.

Jon Bonfiglio: 23:56

What's coming up for you? Uh what what sort of big shows have you got uh lined up?

Chachi Valencia: 24:02

Well, right now is the time of year where you kind of start to start the booking process, you know. So I've already reached out to to the agents and stuff, telling them that I'm you know that I'm that I'll be available for next year and stuff. So the things are just starting to roll now. Probably after Christmas, after New Year's, after the holidays, that's when everybody starts to like book their fairs through the agents. So uh right now it's kind of just like chill time, relax time. So I think after January, that's when I will get a better sense of where I'll be performing this coming up year.

Jon Bonfiglio: 24:50

Amazing, Chachi. Maybe maybe there'll be some World Cup uh performances for for next summer. It's it's always a pleasure to to talk to you.

Chachi Valencia: 24:59

That would be awesome. I would love that. It's uh thank you, John. Thank you.

Jon Bonfiglio: 25:03

Of course, wish you all all the best and uh yeah, look forward to continuing the conversation maybe some way down the line uh meeting in in person.

Chachi Valencia: 25:12

Yes, of course, anytime.

Jon Bonfiglio: 25:14

Uh so yeah, anyone out there listening, keep keep an eye out uh across next spring, summer, and autumn, right across the the USA for the amazing Chachi, the Rocket Man Valencia. Chachi, thanks again.

Chachi Valencia: 25:29

Thank you for having me, John.