Fi real man! Tony Hendriks on Jamaica Jazz and Blues, Ity & Fancy Cat on Shaggy & Friends, and me at the PM's Gala in St Kitts are all indicators of growing recognition that Jamaican stand-up comedy is another important, first-rate entertainment option.

And that's good because comedy's very important. More than mere entertainment, comedy's therapy. For one thing, I know that the 'feel-good' effect of a night of laughing usually carries over into the rest of the night.

Laughter followed by sex

Yeah man, I know several friends - male and female - who attest to the fact that followed by a night of nuff laughter, good sex usually comes after.

Of course, we all know the old joke that explains why that activity is much like playing domino: you need to have a good partner, or a good hand!

Anyway, as I was saying about comedy, seriously it's an important release valve for society's tensions. Much like, and sometimes even more than music, (especially in light of some nowadays music that promote division and encourage anger) the act of laughing together is a powerful unifying tool.

Being spontaneously caught up in a hilarious moment and releasing this uninhibited guttural sound of pure joy in unison with a crowd of people is a wonderful way of establishing cohesion and community. People who can laugh together can live together; and love. So comedians are important.

Versatile and flexible

Good comedians are versatile and flexible, and must be able to constantly update their repertoire and adapt their material to suit the sensibilities of a variety of audiences.

Original Tony

Tony Hendriks is in that class. He's always original. And Hendrik's comedy is as incisive, intelligent and irreverent as it is knock-down hilarious. Operating out of London for the last couple of years, the "Jamaican Paleface" has been making waves all over Europe and North America. It feels so good to log on to the Jamaica Jazz & Blues website and see up there along with Lou Gramm, Lionel Richie, Randy Crawford & Joe Sample, the words 'comedy with Tony Hendriks'. And ah know him going tek it to dem oh so badly!

Comic duo Ity & Fancy Cat is also in that special class. They are undeniably among the best, and can rise to any occasion.

Their hosting of the New Year's Eve extravaganza on the water front put on by the officials of the city, their nuance offerings at various private corporate events, performances on events like Richie Stephen's 'take me away' and the aforementioned prestigious Shaggy & Friends show all help to indelibly establish their bona fides as a top class comic act.

Their foray into television has also been promising. The recently completed first season of their Ity & Fancy Cat TV show was just voted best television production for 2008 by a local teen publication.

Getting work

Yeah good things are happening for comedy and comedians are getting work. I hope more of them get much more work in 2K9. And I hope the public - and sponsors - support comedy events because events are happening. You can get great comedy every month now.

Yes hyah, every last Wednesday there's LOL Comedy Show at Heather's garden restaurant in Kingston and every last Sunday there'll be Portmore Crack-up at Klub Klymaxx on the roof at Pines Plaza in Portmore.

For January, another top class comic Chris 'Johnny' Daley along with Dwight Samuels, will play at LOL. Over the causeway, 'Paleface' will share the stage with first lady/land lady of Jamaican stand-up comedy, the hilarious Elva and Rohan Gunter at Portmore Crack-up, which will be hosted by Ity & Fancy Cat.

Yes, crowd a people, comedy a tek off, so support di ting and gwaan go laugh!

box-mi-back@hotmail.com