[1] Navarrete began his show business career as a singer in the Chilean musical group Los Flamingos [es].
Navarrete met Mario Kreutzberger, better known as "Don Francisco", who had already established Sabados Gigantes in Chile.
He spoke to Kreutzberger about creating Mandolino, a wise-cracking, untrusting character who would serve as a foil to Don Francisco.
When, on April 12, 1986, Sabado Gigante began to be broadcast in the United States live from Miami on Univisión, Navarrete moved there.
Navarrete began hosting a show there on Television Educativa Nacional called La Hora de Mandolino.