Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica are similar yet different, and our similarities are as different as our differences are similar. If you're feeling like you're not sure exactly what I just said it makes no difference, because my feeling is similar.

Trini-man found an old oil drum, cut off the top, beat some groove in it and created steel-pan music. Yard man found a discarded oil drum, cut it long way and start sell drum-pan chicken. Trinibagonian hear somebody say 'lime!' and she's ready to party. Jamrockian hear 'lime' and start thinking 'bout lemonade or phone bill.

Competitive spirit

J'cans love Trinis and Trinis love J'cans. And sometimes we love to hate each other. Yeah, there's no denying the intense competitive spirit that often characterizes relationships between us. Still, we love them and they love us. And if we regularly relate through rivalry, that's understandable. We're often in competition for the number-one spot in regional events. We are the two major leaders in the Caribbean in most major sports and in entertainment; maybe other things too, like crime and violence. But let's focus on entertainment, specifically the field of comedy.

Comedy

A lot has happened for Jamaican comedy, but our neighbours to the southeast are ahead in that area. When we get a thousand people for a comedy show that's a major event; but in Trinidad and Tobago, twenty thousand or more turn out at the stadium for a comedy show. These shows happen throughout the year, typically start at 8:30 p.m. with the national anthem and go on for over five hours, with several performers taking the stage. That's another thing - Trinidad and Tobago has more comedic entertainers than any other Caribbean country.

To name a few, they have outstanding poet/storyteller/comedic entertainers like the legendary Paul Keans-Douglas and Samantha Pierre; top-flight stand-up comics like Tommy Josephs, Dennis 'Sprangalang' Hall, Errol Fabien, Donna Hadad, Marc Trinidad and Jean Paul; and comic acts who specialize in solo skits, like Damion Melville, Louis Antoine and Susan Kennedy. Of course, the outrageously hilarious Learie Josephs and Rachel Price are unquestionably the king and queen of the comedy world in the land of calypso and roti.

Learie doesn't perform stand-up. He does skits with accompanying performers. He plays some stock characters using deadpan witticisms or facial expressions that capitalize on the fact he's nobody's idea of a very handsome fellow. His popularity and pull are phenomenal.

Celebrity status

In Jamaican terms, it's like a combination of Oliver Samuels and Shebada. Equally popular, Rachel is an attractive woman who revels in her beauty and sensuality. She's a slick, saucy and skilful stand-up comic, always dazzlingly attired, and delivers irreverent, on-the-edge, knock-down funny social commentary in her performances. Her celebrity status is also heightened by her recent physical transformation and the story of hard work and dedication behind it. In a nutshell: Rachel is hot in any size, but she used to flex fluffier than Miss Kitty, and decided to change her look. So without any surgery or injection (just hard work, a dietary programme and lifestyle changes) she's now stepping out slim like D'angel.

Lessons

Anyway, I witnessed a situation in Trinidad last weekend that has lessons for us here, especially with the increase in promoters of comedic events. One promoter started an annual post-carnival comedy festival 12 years ago and it's been going well. Another promoter decided to do a similar event this year on the same weekend, using some of the same venues. Contractual 'unclarities' and minor 'accidents' had some acts who were billed for one show, advertised for both shows. The resulting chaos and confusion wasn't funny. And the performers got the brunt of it. One of several lessons is comedians need to organise.

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