If its is one thing that Jamaicans can really enjoy its a bit of comedy. Its for this reason that we have so many plays that go on each year, and also the reason why some of the most celebrated names in Jamaica are names of Comedians, names like Oliver Samuels, Glen "Titus" Campbell, Dahlia Harris, Basil Dawkins, Christopher "Johnny" Daley, Christopher McFarlane... the list could really go on and on. However among all these names there are some names who by simply saying the names is enough to get people laughing as they can link back that name to some hilarity they have seen or heard. Chief Among these names is Volier "Maffy" Johnson.

Everybody who has watched Jamaican TV has seen Volier somewhere or another, because he has been everywhere, from TV ads, music videos, and movies, and now Volier celebrates all of 40 years spent entertaining Jamaicans with his keen acting skills and well calculated comedy.

**Volair is on the right

Volier has seemingly always been in the theatre, starring in plays during his high school days and then gaining a role in the Jamaican hit movie The Harder They Come. During his earlier days in the theatre he was in alot of productions such as; Operation P, Boeing Boeing, Love and Marriage, Rose Slip, and Pillars in the mud. Regarding Rose Slip, he recalled in an Gleaner Interview that:

It was more cultural when I started out and me thank God for that. It teach me how to characterise. During that period you had to have character. When you look onstage you see 10 different man in 10 different character
...
You really feel satisfied when you have the people a tear down the place. It is entertainment

And as far as his Curriculum Vitae goes it is obvious that he loves to entertain as the plays named were only those that he did in the 70's. His career continued and he has continued to act the entire time taking part in productions such as; Tantaloo, Trash, Room for Rent, Stepfather, Toy Boy, Pinnochio, Children Children, Breadfruit Kingdom, and Strength of a Woman among many others. And those were only the plays, he has also been a TV star with regular appearances on programmes such as Oliver at Large, Claffy and Sarge in Charge, and Lime Tree Lane gathering nicknames from each program as he goes along. One of the moments of his which I also fondly remember is his role in Lovindeers's music video of Wild Gilbert, where he played a rastaman. It is a wonder how he manages to keep his identity being as he has been in so many productions, but certainly he has been able to do it.

He has even recently branched out to the radio as well being a part of the regular Full House Friday crew every morning on Fame FM where he manages to entertain listeners with his wit, and he shows that he is also able to take the punches as well as give them back.

Volaire is truly one of those great comedians who has gone across many genres of comedy successfully and one simply cannot speak about Jamaican comedy without saying his name. If you attempt to you will surely be missing out an important part of it. Congratulations on 40 years Volaire and I wish you 40 more!