Cheerful Company gives gift of laughter

At a time when the need for a good laugh is evident, the members of Cheerful Company have come through for the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

Avril “Bonita” Carrington, Jewel Sifontes, Shanelle “Shinzypoo” Felix and Keisha “KP” Punter, also known as the "flour girls," have been shooting and posting videos on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube since April, making light of just about any and everything. Their floured faces, bonnet-covered hair, chemistry, and Carrington’s infectious laugh have brought smiles to the faces of many people all ages – which is exactly what they had set out to do.

“The goal really was to bless people and bring that cheer and joy to people. Everything doesn’t have to be about laughing, but our objective is to make a positive impact on people,” Punter told WMN.

But they are still amazed at how many people they have been able to reach and cheer up.

“After we started posting the videos people were saying that it helped with depression, anxiety, that we were bringing ‘cheer’ to them, so I suggested that we go with the name Cheerful Company.”

Their first video was made on April 10, and since then they have amassed over 365,000 followers.

“It was Eid and we were by Avril, and Shanelle, Avril and I were playing an alphabet game; not the one that we do in the video. Jewel came over and I said, ‘Let’s do a TikTok’ and that’s how it started.”

They told WMN finding content comes easy for them, as there is so much going on in TT and the world right now, and turning these trends into comic relief comes naturally to them because of their chemistry. Their routine usually involves answering questions on a particular topic within a specific timeframe. Whoever gives an incorrect answer or does not answer on time gets their face dipped in flour. But they also do skits, parodies and karaoke, among other things.

Their acts require little to no practice because of the free flow and connection they have as friends.

Punter, a police officer, jokingly takes credit for that friendship and the strong bond they share.

“I met Avril (acting corporal) through work. She was my supervisor at the time. Avril and I are best friends.”

She said she met Felix, an employee in the HR department at the Ministry of Sports and Community Development, via TikTok, and Sifontes, a soldier, at church. Carrington and Sifontes are neighbours.

“The friendship is because of me. My relationship with Jewel started a little unstable,” she chuckled.

“Now we are like sisters and I’ve learned to be patient from having to interact with her on a daily basis. Shinzypoo is a darling. You'd hardly find a friendship like this among people who vary in ages like us. We live like family; we are always by Avril,” Punter said.

“And Jewel eats by me,” Carrington quipped in, eliciting a raucous peal of laughter from Sifontes.

Although Cheerful Company is registered as an entertainment company, the group said it is branching off into other areas.

“Generally, we’re an entertainment group; we do game nights, birthday parties, things like that. Now we want to do charity work."

She said the intention is to put together food hampers for six families in need.

"We’re seeking sponsorship for our Christmas charity. We’ve sent out requests for items to groceries, but so far we’ve only received acknowledgements. No one has confirmed yet,” Felix said.

Additionally, for World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, they engaged residents in Edinburgh 500 in Central, Trinidad in suicide-prevention talks.

“We try to keep up with what is going on around us and do whatever we can to help, and a lot of the comments on our platforms suggest that our videos are helping people. We couldn’t understand how making a simple TikTok could help, but it seems to be,” Punter said.

They are frequently asked to do “shout-outs” and to advertise and endorse products and services.

“Sometimes the things people want us to advertise is hilarious,” she said, making Carrington let out her signature laugh.

“For instance, one person wanted us to advertise baby clothes, but if you look at our page, it doesn’t align with our brand. And most times they want it done for free, and even if you give a price, they still want to beat us down.”

Carrington said although the objective of the company is to make a positive impact on people, some people tend to take what they do for granted.

“Even for our gigs, not everything can be for charity. Sometimes people should bear in mind that it takes sacrifices and a lot of effort to do what we do.

"We don’t all live in the same place, we work, we have to take time off to meet. If people know how much effort goes into it, they will be a little more sensitive…

"But a lot of people also reach out to us and invite us to 'nice' events.”

Earlier this year Carrington, Felix and Punter vacationed in New York, and were surprised that they were easily recognised and even featured on one of the biggest advertising platforms in the city.

“The vacation had been planned long before our videos blew up, and we weren't expecting people to know us. Just the fact that people were calling us out, it was weird.

"Nadia Batson had a show and her manager came out just to ask us to take a pic with her, and we even found ourselves on a billboard in Times Square," for which Punter gives credit to the power of social media.

“I was the only one who didn’t go,” Sifontes said with a pout.

But she is determined not to miss a possible upcoming gig in Dominica.

“Someone recently called us to find out if we would be up to doing something in Dominica. We have no details yet, but we are open to it,” Felix said.

“It would be my first time going to another Caribbean country, so I’m really excited,” Sifontes added.

The four friends say they are committed to the relationship they have spent years building, and their plan is to take The Cheerful Company and its influence as far as they can.

“The sky is the limit for us and Cheerful Company,” Punter said, adding that very soon fans can look forward to Cheerful Company merch.

Meet the team:

Avril Carrington, 45, from Chaguanas: "I am an extrovert and a very, very happy person. I have no children yet. I love to cook, I love the Lord, I love people and I love to laugh. Sometimes my friends tell me I don’t take anything seriously. That may be true – to a certain extent, because there are times when I can be very serious."

Jewel Sifontes, 25, from Chaguanas: "I am the eldest of five siblings, I have a niece, I love sports, especially football, and I play the African drums and the tassa."

Shinelle Felix, 34, from Diego Martin: "I am the introvert in the group. I like outdoors, hiking and going to the beach. I love to read and write and I often visit the library. I have one daughter."

Keisha Punter, 39, from Chaguanas: "I love nature and being outdoors. Avril got me a dog recently. His name is Snowy and he grew on me; I absolutely love him now.

"I love my friends and I can’t imagine my life without these three lovely ladies."