Chema

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Chema (right) with friends Don Pimpón (left) and Espinete (center)

Chema, sometimes Chema el panadero (Chema the baker) was a character from Barrio Sésamo, the Spanish version of Sesame Street.

He was a Human, child character who appeared in the second period of the series, from 1983 to 1987. He interacted with Human-size muppets Espinete and Don Pimpón.

Chema was a blond man who owned a bakery on the Barrio. He always wore a white T-shirt, white trousers and a white apron with flour stains. The apron always showed flour stains, even when he was opening the bakery in the morning, supposedly coming from home.

Chema became one of the most beloved characters in the second period of Barrio Sésamo, probably second only to Espinete. He was popular enough to have his own songs, performed without any other character as chorus, including Panadero Soy (A baker I am).

Chema (Sánchez) has appeared in theatre versions of Barrio Sésamo that were performed after 1987 alongside with actress Chelo Vivares as Espinete and other actor from the series, José Riesgo as Julián.

Etymology

Chema is a Basque name, which is correctly written as Txema. It is an abbreviation for the name José María (Joseph Mary), a male name. However, the word was and still is extended through all the Spanish country and is usually written with the Spanish language ortography.