Shebada Says Oliver Samuels Is Not On His Level
Actor Keith ‘Shebada’ Ramsey says no Jamaican artist nor actor has pulled more crowds than him, zeroing in on his senior, Oliver Samuels.
“Oliver never play to 5,000 people pon him own yet and mi play to over 14,000,” Ramsey said on TikTok recently. “Which one artist, one actor, yuh see do that? Weh people deh a the show from 10 in the morning…and the show is 7 o’clock in the night? Camp out yuh call it.”
He continued, “Oliver has been on the scene very long, but trust me, mi come mek history… Yuh see like how Asafa run longtime and everybody else a run longtime and Usain Bolt come mek him mark and nobody cya compare to Usain Bolt? Oliver can never compare to me in record breaking… Oliver coulda never draw the crowd weh me draw. Nuh actor inna Jamaica has never done that, slash artist.”
Among the largest attended events in Jamaica’s history are the 1976 ‘Smile Jamaica’ concert, where Bob Marley united political parties at the National Heroes Park in Kingston, before 80,000-plus people; and Buju Banton’s ‘Long Walk to Freedom’ concert at the National Stadium in 2019, where more than 30,000 people witnessed his first performance since being released from prison months prior.
Ramsey added that artists used to call his production company to enquire about his show dates to avoid competition from his patronage.
His comments were provoked by a viewer who posited that he could never walk in Samuels’ shoes, which sparked his opinion that the Oliver at Large star is “not on his level”.
“I’m not dismissing a man’s history, but since you mek the comparison, mi haffi defend myself…” he said. “Who is an Oliver? What’s an Oliver? Oliver can never be compared to my craft, I’m sorry. What unno a rail fi Oliver with is years… Den rail fi Half Pint too, rail fi Peter Tosh, rail fi Garnett Silk too – a years unno a bring. Let us talk about creativity. Let us talk about ad libs at its highest. Let us talk about improv. Let us talk about all of these things.”
He added that he brought “bravery” to the industry by encouraging people to be themselves despite any accompanying judgement. Ramsey made his theatre debut in 2006 with Stages Production after placing third in the stand-up comedy show Comedy Buss. His grassroots persona, hilarious timing and questions of his sexuality shaped his allure, inspiring droves of people to see him in plays like Bashment Granny 1 and 2, Ghettout and Di Driva.
Ramsey dared viewers to match the reception of his work to Samuels’, analogising, “Mi never need nuh promotion like Shenseea. Mi never need nuh Romeich behind me.”
Man Problem!, his latest production, centers around a fugitive mother whose secret is causing turmoil in her son’s life.
Samuels, 74, has appeared in 13 pantomimes and more than 30 other productions including Music Boy, Queenie’s Daughter, Dickance for Fippance, Hail Columbus, The Witch, Johnny Reggae, The Pirate Princess, Trash, and The Dancing Princess.
He has also appeared in The Fight Against Slavery, the British Broadcasting Corporation’s television series aired in 1974. The television series Oliver, Oliver at Large and Large and in Charge cemented Samuels’ role as Jamaica’s king of comedy.
In 2021, he received a Doctor of Letters degree from the University of the West Indies, Mona, for his outstanding contribution to regional and international development. That followed his lifetime achievement award from the Consulate General of Jamaica in Miami.
His other accolades include an Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer Class in 1978, which was upgraded to the rank of Commander Class in 2020.