Cumuto's laughing man – Davey Rampersad

MANY say laughter is the best medicine.

This is probably Davey Rampersad's key to good health.

Known on social media for his infectious laughter, the 61-year-old says he simply enjoys making other people happy.

Rampersad was born and raised in Cumuto. He said he had a pretty quiet childhood and as an adult, he mostly worked in the area of mechanics.

Raised in a Catholic household, he said he has a very strong faith in God.

"My whole life, all I know is work, church and home," he told Sunday Newsday.

"I still go to church (St Paul the Holy Spirit RC Church) every Sunday at 10 am. The only time I may not go is if I'm not well."

Now retired, he said he spends most of his time relaxing at home, but his hobbies include playing all fours and draughts.

But things took an unexpected turn for him in July after a video of him recorded by his friend
and fellow Cumuto resident Kern Joseph was uploaded to TikTok.

Rampersad did not speak at all in the video, but was simply doing what he does best – laughing. He embodies soca star Machel Montano's song Happy Papi, or I Love to Laugh from the Disney film Mary Poppins.

The video soon went viral on other social media platforms as well, with many saying it brought them joy and they could not stop laughing.

Joseph told Sunday Newsday on that day, he was going through a really challenging period in his personal life and saw Rampersad. They greeted each other as they usually would, by saying "Ha ha ha," Joseph recalled.

"He say, 'Wha' going on?' I say, 'Let we go and take a drink.'

"While going to the bar, we buss a joke, and that little joke alone and his laugh made me feel more of a person. So I said, let me just record it, so whenever I'm feeling down and out like this again, I can have it on my phone and just watch it over."

But that night, he started thinking about something else.

"I sat there and wondered, 'What if somebody else feeling this kind of way too, boy? Maybe it could help them too.'"

And so said, so done.

Rampersad said in the past, people had asked to record videos of him laughing to post online, but he refused. He did not know Joseph was going to upload the video.

On the TikTok account @kernjoseph, many videos show the two men bonding, during which Rampersad would erupt into his infectious laughter.

In a few of those videos, Rampersad actually spoke – which shocked many people, who seemed to think all he did was laugh.

In one of the videos, he was preparing curried goat.

He told Sunday Newsday he loves to cook and can cook just about everything.

Both men said they had no idea the videos would do so well online.

"People (strangers) see me and ask if they could get a picture with me, or a video," Rampersad said.

He always agrees.

"A lot of people say I make their day, and when people see me while they're sad, they usually get happy."

@kernjoseph♬ original sound - Kern Joseph746

The children in the community call him Uncle Davey and he has a soft spot for them.

But even with the newfound attention, he remains humble. He said strangers often try to offer him money or other material things but he refuses.

The only time he ever accepted anything was when someone offered to pay for his food at a restaurant.

"I really and truly don't take thing from people. They try to give me things because they recognise me, but honestly and truly, I don't do it.

"Someone tried to give me $200 and I said, 'No thanks. I don't do that.'"

So on to the most asked question – why does Rampersad laugh so much?

When Sunday Newsday asked him this, he began his usual nonstop laughing, but he later said, "That's just how I am.

"When I start, it's like I can't stop."

And no, it does not hurt him to continually laugh so hard and for so long.

He loves helping others and is now thankful for the impact he is having on the lives of others, one laugh at a time.

"Everybody is enjoying themselves, so it's not a problem to me (to help them achieve that)."