Owen 'Blakka' Ellis performs at the Christmas Crack-Up show, held at Backyaad, Constant Spring Road, on Boxing Day, where he announced that he would be moving to Canada. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Owen 'Blakka' Ellis leaves for Canada today and he is not coming back.

Amid his jokes and antics at Backyaad, at the Third Annual Caribbean Christmas Crack-Up, the comedian announced on Tuesday that it would his last time on a Crack-Up stage for a while.

"I moved to Canada two years now, but I've been maintaining a visibility in Jamaica," Owen Agustus 'Blakka' Ellis said in an interview, on Wednesday. His wife, and two younger sons reside in Canada. "I've been juggling for the past two years, now I have to commit to spend some time with them. I have two young sons in Toronto who need a father in their life. My wife is raising boys in a strange country. I need to be there for them," he said.

Although he said Jamaica will always be home, his visits here will be very brief. "I won't be doing any plays, very few Crack-Up shows. I don't see myself coming here for next year unless somebody flies me in for a show," he said. Added to this, he hopes to start at York University in September where he will pursue a master's degree in environmental studies, focusing on community and environmental arts.

Not over comedy

Although he is not over comedy, this may be taking a back seat as he makes time for other things he loves. "To be honest I'm definitely doing a lot less stand-up comedy and concentrating on some other things that I want to do, but the shows keep coming up," he said. "I want to write stuff. My real passion is writing. I want to write more poetry, I want to write a play, a novel, columns. I want to study, not because you get more money or necessarily make you a better person, but because me just waan expand ma brain," he said.

Blakka explained that Canada has a very vibrant Jamaican community, so he does expect that the shows will keep coming. "I've done a couple of dinners and banquets. I prefer private shows, much more enjoyable," he said.

But what about Ellis International, the family company that packages, promotes and produces entertainment events? "Ellis International has three directors," he explained, those Ian 'Ity' Ellis, Aston Ellis and himself. "My living in Toronto will not affect my being involved in the company." In fact, he said it is Ian who is managing director, while he was more of a public relations officer.

Blakka follows other outstanding Jamaicans in culture such as Louise Bennett and poet Lorna Goodison who migrated to Canada. Still, he said he had not turned his back on the island. "You can never really leave home, everywhere I go I carry Jamaica with me," he said. "I don't want to grow old and die anywhere else, but in Jamaica."

Writer, actor, comedian

Popularly known as 'Blakka', Owen Ellis was born in Kingston, on April 15, 1960. He attended Trench Town Primary School, Excelsior High School, the Jamaica School of Drama and the University of the West Indies. Among Blakka's achievements are Best Actor Award in the 1977 Secondary Schools Drama Festival, a Jamaica Music Industry (JAMI) award for Best Children's Musical for Groundwork Theatre Company's 1990 Pump Up the Fun, which he directed and wrote and a JAMI award for Best Musical in 1989 for the National Pantomime Schoolers, which he co-wrote and co-produced.

He also won the Actor Boy Award for Best Revue 1998 for Laugh Jamaica, in which he starred.

Ellis has also won silver and bronze medals for his poetry in the National Literary Arts Contest and read at the prestigious Calabash International Literary Festival. His first collection of poems, Gateman, was published in 2005.

Penned scripts

As a writer, Blakka has penned scripts for Oliver Samuels, Tony 'Paleface' Hendriks, and Ity & Fancy Cat, as well as creating lyrics for international reggae star, Judy Mowatt. He has travelled all over the Caribbean either as a solo act or as part of the once popular 'Bello & Blakka' comedy duo.

He has worked all over the world not only as a performing artist, but also as a trainer, workshop facilitator and motivational speaker. He appears in numerous radio, television and print commercials, theatrical productions and films including the Jamaican blockbuster Dancehall Queen and Warner Bros' Club Paradise.