Radio Dubplate has effectively taken the lead in broadcasting Reggae/Dancehall music to a vast listening audience around the world. It is a staple in the Caribbean community and a lifeline to the multi-ethnic communities that are just fans of the music. Some listeners are reggae/dancehall music experts, while others just want to learn more about where the music comes from or hear their favorite artist perform the songs they love.
It all began when Richard Banton, creator of Radio Dubplate, recognized that Dancehall is at the center of the Jamaican musical and cultural life. While pursuing his passion for music, Richard volunteered at CHRY, a local community radio station in Toronto. Although he enjoyed the work he knew that something was missing, reggae music wasn’t being presented in a way that he felt satisfied the listeners. It was out his need to fill this void that Radio Dubplate was created.
Make no mistake, Radio Dubplate has it all by showcasing week to week every Saturday evening and keeping to its format, which allows listeners to connect with the content of the program. These features include:
4 Classics in a row: Playing megawatt hits from yesteryear, tunes from the 70’s straight up to the 90’s, and once in awhile something from 2000’s.
The Banton Report: A definitive view of Dancehall & Reggae providing charts from around the world, relevant news, artist & group interviews and new video releases.
The Riddim Ride: Showcases the featured riddim of the week. Generally it’s a new release that the audience is hearing for the first time. Many times feedback from this segment is passed to producers and artists giving listener reaction and documented response to their music.
Unique to the show is that it doesn’t just play the latest tunes, it goes deeper by focusing on highlighting contemporary Dancehall and Reggae music. This is achieved by sharing and enlightening listeners with stories and anecdotal commentary that goes behind the music they enjoy.
As a marketing and publication tool, Radio Dubplate enables community groups and agencies to advertise and promote their causes or events by allowing them air time to dialogue about their function and/or mission.
Peeking listeners interest is the smart, witty and relatable commentary that distinguishes this show from many others. Frequently the dialogue and content captures the imagination of the public so much, that the in studio phones are lit with listeners wanting an opportunity to make their point heard. This stimulation of the mind adds huge entertainment value!
If your car or home radio reception is lacking, and you don’t want to miss one dub beat, this innovative radio show gives you several other options. Satellite, channel 945 on Rogers TV, www.radiodubplate.com, as well as the opportunity to listen through your iPhone, Blackberry or Android phone, whether at the grocery store, hair salon or barbershop, in the dentist chair, mowing the lawn or even at work. Radio Dubplate is there! Many businesses within the city play the show in their establishment to generate sales and to keep the attention of their customers while in their place of business.
With the help of technology Radio Dubplate is travelling the world. Since the expansion of the shows world-wide connection, listener ship has increased dramatically due to the flexibility of being able to tune in from anywhere. Listeners really enjoy the ability to connect to a culture that they can be a part of, no matter where they originated from. The 2 hour, Saturday evening radio spot entertains a unique and diverse following of all types of people, from young to old, the hip to the square, the righteous to the rebel and every music loving individual in between. You can be sure this is a no sleeping zone.
Even if you’ve crawled under a rock and missed an episode you can still catch any missed episodes by visiting the website and listening to the archived shows. Here at Radio Dubplate all the bases are covered.
Radio Dubplate…blazing dancehall and reggae from Toronto to the World!
