Roadblock Radio's Island Mix brings Caribbean music to mainstream FM in New York and Miami
The five-hour Sunday show of reggae, dancehall and soca now airs on WXBK 94.7 FM The Block and WPOW Power 96.5 FM.
NEW YORK, United States. Caribbean music has secured a significant new foothold on mainstream US radio with the launch of Roadblock Radio's Island Mix on WXBK 94.7 FM The Block in the New York tri-state area and WPOW Power 96.5 FM in South Florida.
"Every Sunday from 7pm to midnight, Roadblock Radio Island Mix delivers five hours of reggae, dancehall, soca, konpa, Afrobeats and Caribbean classics," Roadblock Radio chief executive Kacy Rankine told Caribbean Life. He said the show also reaches Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland on the company's HD platform.
Miguel "Mijo" Irizarry, brand manager at Power 96 Miami, said Caribbean music was already embedded in South Florida's musical identity. "South Florida is home to a large Caribbean community," he said.
Shaggy on the airwaves
According to Jamaican-born publicist Anthony "ER Guru" Turner, the show's reach was on display when Grammy-winning Jamaican star Shaggy joined DJ Mr Famous for an interview that drew attention across social media.
Asked about dancehall's debate over who deserves the crown, Shaggy rejected the idea of a single king. "Beenie Man is a king. Kartel is a king. Shabba is a king," he said, then added: "I'm a king."
He also reflected on why mainstream radio matters. "When I started, there was no radio station that played dancehall or reggae," he said. "There's no reggae budget." He said he had to work "10 times harder with 10 times less budget" to compete on a level playing field.
Shaggy cautioned younger fans against judging the genre's history through social media alone. "Not because it wasn't on Instagram didn't mean it didn't happen," he said.
For Mr Famous, the show is about preserving that cultural connection. "Dancehall, reggae, and soca are connected to memories, family, home, and culture," he said.
DJ Norie, the show's other New York host, said it "brings different Caribbean cultures and generations together on a Sunday."
Mr Rankine said landing the show on mainstream FM in two of America's most important Caribbean markets "gives Jamaican and Caribbean music a regular five-hour home on major US radio."
