Teino Evans, Staff Reporter

Ity and Fancy Cat. - file photos

A few stand-up comedians have somehow managed to laugh their way into the performance side of music, as quite a few of them have recently been recording original songs. Song has long been a part of comedic fare, with the duo of Apache Chief and Sarge delivering cover versions of R&B standards, as well as doing impersonations of popular Jamaican entertainers.

Whether or not the public will take this move as a joke, the comedians say they are actually serious about it.

"People a ask wi if we are now singers now, but we are entertainers," Ity told The Sunday Gleaner. He says what many persons might not know is that he and Fancy Cat started out as deejays.

"A dat wi did start out wid, three tune an one joke fi open inna di club for Claudette Pious," Ity says.

As Fancy Cat put it, "Wi a get back inna di ting now. Cause wa happen is dat from when wi jus start do di comedy ting wi use to do a one tune an comedy an somewhere along di line a jus comedy, suh now, wi a get back inna di ting".

Ity and Fancy Cat have two songs already recorded.

singles out

"Wi jus have some singles out now, Walk Out by Fancy Cat weh a seh enjoy yuhself, don't watch nuh face, an my tune, Black Am I, weh basically a seh don't bleach. Wi have a video out, directed by Keyboard Money Mike and produced by Danny Champagne. Wi did a medley video, suh basically yuh a guh si me an Cat tune inna one," Ity says.

According to Ity, dancers like Bogle and selectors like Tony Matterhorn have been a major influence, as he says, "It start from Bogle wid All Dem Deh. Di dancer dem do it, di selector dem too, 'cause all when mi si Matterhorn mi haffi ask him if him a selecta or artiste. Suh now di comedian dem a join di game. Dance Xpressions, Johnny, Ity, Fancy Cat, and Elva seh a she next. Everybody a explore, di door kick wide open ya now."

The comediansstill feel that it will be difficult to escape their permanent label as comedians.

"Suh far wi get mix reviews, 'cause Cat tune is light and my tune bout di bleaching ting, people still passionate bout dat. But a nuh like wi need fi deejay. Wi done buss as comedians already, but a jus we a explore other options an mek di ting broader," Ity says.

Fancy Cat adds that "yuh si tru wi a comedian people a guh find anything we do funny, but di singles dem a work ... even Marlon Young do some remix pon some hip-hop rhythm already".

Fancy Cat says his next tune is ready to be released already and, of course, there has to be that element of humour involved.

playing in the clubs

"Mi jus do all a next tune weh inna di clubs now. It name Sum'n Wrong Wid She," Cat said, going into song with "how a gyal a seh she hot an don't even have ar own man, something wrong wid she ... Gyal a seh she hot an not even have a divan, something wrong wid she, how a gyal seh she hot and not even have a standing fan, something wrong wid she".

Cat is, however, excited about branching off into the artistic side of music and entertainment, as he says, "A three different money now - the hosting (emcee) money, di comedy money an now di deejay money".

However Johnny, another stand-up comedian who says he has been acting on television most of his life, says, "It's not about the money, it's about developing oneself totally as an entertainer. I'm feeling the impulse to do everything artistic right now - dance, comedy, everything and I'm going to pursue it with the same passion".

According to Johnny, "As an artiste, hoping to develop oneself, you have to be an all-rounder. I do stand-up comedy, but that don't mean that we can't do other things as well."

Johnny says his current single, Gimmie Di Girls, is extremely popular and "the people in the streets are asking me when is the next song. I'm in the studios recording a next song right now and already one person has called me for a stage show. But I told themthat I'm not going to do any as yet; yuh cyan do stage show wid one song".

Not to be left out of the loop is another stand-up comedian, Elva, who says "a me did waan deejay before di whole a dem except fi like Ity an Fancy Cat, but mi nuh have nuh lyrics".

"Basically what I'm doing now is vetting some lyrics, because mi want lyrics weh can identify wid my personality and something that can have some longevity in the dancehall. Suh listen out fi me, 'cause some deejay a gaze pon di work an a di selector dem an di comedian dem a guh tek it," Elva warned.

Elva also informed us that she is not a newcomer to the deejay game.

"Mi do a likkle spin already like how mi do stand-up, but it nuh record. But mi soon put every ting pon track," Elva said.