Cedric The Entertainer

Western Bureau:

It would appear the affection Jamaicans have for American comedian/actor Cedric 'The Entertainer' is mutual as, according to the popular television personality, he is still revelling in an un-forgettable experience he had here 14 years ago.

"I had a trip down to Kingston - maybe it was 1995. Part of the trip was that I was supposed to spend a couple of days in Negril," recalled Cedric. "They were going to fly me over in a small plane, but something went wrong, so I ended up driving over in a Jamaican cab. It was all fun 'cause I got to drink Red Stripe beer and red rum and had a ball meeting and greeting the people."

Cedric, who will be visiting Jamaica for the upcoming Caribbean Classic Golf Invitational from June 24-28, which includes a comedy show, said he is looking forward to more fun timesin Jamaica.

"The beaches are always wonderful, the weather is nice and lovely. I am really looking forward to a great time in Jamaica," Cedric told The Sunday Gleaner in an interview last Wednesday. "It would be nice to travel across the south coast - the experience I had there was such a great one."

adding local flavour

Cedric, whose rib-tickling performances in Barber Shop I and II and The Johnson's Family Vacation made him a household name, said he is familiarising himself with the Jamaican culture for his performance next week.

"I am trying to find out what is going on in terms of the latest dances, the latest popular songs; trying to learn a few dialects and words and then use these in my performance to give it a local flavour," said Cedric. "I basically always try to make the necessary preparation so that the audience can relate to me."

While comedy fans should have a ball when Cedric comes to Jamaica, for him, the trip is not just about providing laughter, as the spin-off benefit is also profoundly important.

"The Caribbean Classic is not just about getting people to laugh or to just create a DVD," the entertainer said. "The important part is to get the contribution which goes in to providing the kids with computers and to address other important needs."

For the St Louis native, who surged to prominence as a stand-up comedian in the mid-1980s and rose to fame via the television drama, The Steve Harvey Show, and Spike Lee's brilliant film, The Original Kings of Comedy, he is no stranger to charitable work and considers it an honour to help others.

involvement in outreach

"One of the key aspects about life is that if you have opportunity to help out others you should," the comedian told The Sunday Gleaner. "It is not all about financial - it is also about contribution of time. If you see somebody that has the ability to succeed that needs help and you can help, you should. I have always looked forward to contributing to the well-being of others."

Through his Cedric the Entertainer Charity Foundation, the comedian has developed a scholarship programme for students in his St Louis hometown.

"We send several kids to college by paying their first year of tuition," said Cedric, who gave out eight scholarships this year. "We are also involved in foster care programmes and an entourage programme, in which we take underprivilegedkids out of their environment and expose them to other things in the world so that they can make different choices by just knowing that other things exist."

For those persons who are hooked on Cedric and his fun-filled entertainment projects, this fall should be an exciting time as several of the projects that the entertainer is working on will be released during that period.

"Recently, I have been working on my own movie - I directed it - it is a comedy called Chicago Polasky Jones and this was my first time directing," said Cedric. "I also have other projects working on. I am doing a small movie with Christina Richie called All Love is Fair. I am also working on a few television projects that will be coming out in the fall."