?It is good when people can acknowledge the good you did posthumously. But it is even better when they can do so while you are still alive, as was the case with stand-up comedian John Agitation (Ramjattan Ramdeen), who was publicly honored on November 8 by members of the Society of St Vincent de Paul of T&T. "Well papa," the auditorium at the La Joya complex in St Joseph was packed with young and not-so-young patrons, as they sang along and tapped their feet to the performances of the top-of-the line artistes paying tribute to Agitation's 60 years of service in the business of relieving stress. Special mention was made to his unforgettable impression of the late Dr Eric Williams.
A wide range of tributes were paid, from dance performances by Ian Baptiste and bMobile Shiv Shakti Dance Group, to parang by the Brazil RC children's band, Chris Morris and Amber; from calypso by Contender, William Bannister of the Klassic Ruso tent and the Mighty Shadow, to traditional ballads by the Golden Voices Choir and members of the Lydian Singers. And when the man himself, described as "the last of the s... talkers" took to the stage, it was chaos in La Joya. At 83, Agitation described himself as a "senior senior citizen" but did not miss a beat. He was, however, mindful of the spiritual background of the organisers of the programme and kept his tall tales clean. He even went so far as to use biblical verse and scripture to add to his humour. When Agitation left the stage, it was with the satisfaction that he had done what he does best–made his audience forget their problems, even if for a brief moment. Tournay!
