'America's Got Talent' on NBC: Who is Chiko? Cuban acrobat has earlier made judges gasp on 'Got Talent Spain'
We've seen a lot of incredible acrobatic performances on 'America's Got Talent,' from aerialists to balancing ensembles. Another acrobat will be inducted into the 'AGT' hall of fame during the 5th week of auditions.
'America's Got Talent' Season 17 will return for the fifth night of auditions on Tuesday, and the competition is shining brighter than ever! Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel, and Simon Cowell will judge and vote on a fresh batch of 'AGT' hopefuls who are willing to put their lives on the line in order to advance to the next stage of the competition or win the coveted Golden Buzzer. Utnier Aquino Hernández, a Cuban acrobat, is one of the many hopefuls seeking to impress the judges with his spine-chilling acrobatics. It's always exciting to see these sorts of performers advance in the competition since the program is about more than simply singing.
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Who is Utnier Aquino Hernández aka Chiko?
Utnier Aquino Hernández is an acrobat who is part of a circus group, Circus Artist Company in Tenerife for many years now. This is in fact neither his first attempt at swinging ropes nor his first time auditioning for a Got Talent show. The acrobat has earlier auditioned for 'Got Talent Spain,' not once or twice. He returns to the 'AGT' stage, this time to establish a name for himself on a worldwide scale.
After his spectacular performance, Cuban acrobat Utnier Aquino Hernández, also known as Chiko, was acclaimed by the audience and the 'Got Talent Spain' panel. The islander had performed in 2020 but was turned down by Risto Mejide, one of the judges, who informed Chiko that something was lacking from his performance and that he needed to add more appeal. Apparently, this prompted Chiko to evaluate his inventiveness and take a chance on a stronger performance in the following year. “For me, there are two types of talent: there is a natural talent, and the talent of effort, sacrifice, and work," the tightrope walker said before coming on stage. "I come to give everything, it is a personal debt that I have with myself. I can't afford a single failure."
The acrobat displayed an empty but hefty glass bottle to the judges and explained that the whole balance of his routine will be based on four similar bottles. On top, the contestant placed four bottles and a wooden chair. His act consisted of playing Tetris with chairs in various positions until he reached the highest point of the theater without losing attention or balance.
As Chiko mounted the seats during his performance, the tension in the audience and judges could be sliced with a knife. His golden clasp was a handstand atop chair towers made of four glass bottles. Chiko confessed that what he was doing was dangerous and required a great deal of focus; if something went wrong, he might have a deadly fall. Judges Dani Martnez and Edurne admitted to having a "bad and good" time with the performance because of the high level of risk and how stunning it was to observe. Risto, who couldn't stop smiling during Chiko's act, praised him for returning and adding value to everything they do in this competition. He went on to say that participants like Chiko inspire him to keep doing his work, that he has given meaning to overcome, and that he is the contestant who has taken the greatest risks on the program.
After the success of Chiko's performance became known, his instructor in Cuba expressed his pride on social media for who had been his pupil since he was 15 years old. It is not the first time that Cuban performers living abroad have been on the Got Talent show. As an example, the West Indian husband and wife Isumi and Dayron, members of the duet "Believe," made it to the final. The young artists performed an acrobatic performance based on the narrative of several dragons.
Previously, acrobatic acts on 'AGT' have included Duo Transcend, a husband and wife trapeze duo who auditioned for 'AGT' Season 13 and made it all the way to the finale, and they subsequently returned for 'AGT: The Champions,' ending in second place. Aidan Bryant, a 16-year-old self-taught aerialist, finished second in season 16 and spurred Simon Cowell to stand on the judges' table during the finals. Do you believe Chiko has what it takes to outperform the prior acts? Tune in to NBC on Tuesday at 8 pm to find out for yourself.
