John Agitation
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John Agitation | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Comedian, Social Worker, Politician |
| Instrument | Cuatro |
Ramdeen Ramjattan known as John Agitation (born August 1927 Cartal, Trinbago) is a comedian and storyteller. He graduated from the Progressive Educational Institute and served the Civil Service.
Big Break
In 1951, at 24, Ramdeen was introduced to the national audience by Landy de Montbrun, a leading local comic at the time. He told a joke, slightly nervous that he was crossing the boundary of taste. But the crowd was elated. "They were very happy to see a (dark-skinned) fella," Agitation later remarked.
From there, Agitation became a regular on Radio Trinidad, particularly the Horace James Comedy Hour, Sunday Serenade (hosted by Sam Ghany) and the Aunty Kay Children's Show. The latter was sponsored by Bermudez Biscuit Company Limited for decades.
Maintaining Roots/Poilitcs
As a comedian he drew inspiration from the people of his village who were either always laughing, or always telling jokes. Throughout his life he has been an avid hunter, which is not surprising, as living in the rural, still-forested area of Cumuto, sometimes the agouti and brocket deer come almost into the house, so to speak. He has never forsaken the vocation into which he was born -farming- and on his 10-acre estate: there are oranges, mandarins, tangelos, portugal and grapefruit. His success in agriculture he attributes to the same attitude with which he regards comedy: he treats both as serious hobbies.
He has the distinction of being the first candidate to run on a United National Congress (UNC) ticket: he contested and won a 1989 by-election in the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation for the Guaico-Cumuto district, thus becoming the first comedian in the Commonwealth of Nations to win an election.
Recognition and the Twilight Years
Agi, as he's fondly known in Trinbago, is now retired, living on his Public Service pension, but still performs, though not at the tempo of yore, when, practically every week of the year, he would be the star billing on some sold-out show, even, in his twilght years, still able to hold his own against and stealing the spotlight from the likes of Dennis "Sprangalang" Hall.
In 2003, Ramdeen "John Agitation" Ramjattan, Trinbago's local philosopher (that's what his signature introduction of himself invariably mentioned whenever he performed), was awarded the Hummingbird Medal (Silver) by a grateful Trinidad and Tobago populace. Fittingly, he received it for his more than five-decade-long saga to preserve Trinbagonian and Caribbean folklore via comedic storytelling.
Sources
- Trinidad and Tobago Broadcasters Association [1]
- de Montbrun Landy de Montbrun
- Trinidad & Tobago Office of the President [2]
- ChutneyZone [3]
- Richard Wm Thomas -Trinbagonian Researcher and Commenter
References
- Richard Wm Thomas -Trinbagonian Researcher and Commenter