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Tuning
in to the islands
Article
written for Islands Magazine Jan/Feb 2001
Rhythmic junkanoo from the Bahamas...soulful Greek ballads from Cyprus…reggae
from Jamaica…Celtic folk songs from Ireland. An island's music can
give you as much insight into its culture as any guided tour. The songs
flow from radios in taxis, cafes and stores, permeating your island experience
as distinctively as the exotic scenery or the luscious, regional cuisine.
Now, you can replicate that aural experience—or sample before you
go—with Internet radio. More and more island radio stations are
broadcasting online, giving both curious tourists and homesick expatriates
a unique way to connect with a key ingredient of an island's culture:
its music. Online radio has grown in popularity not only because it offers
desk-bound workers a chance to listen to music at work, but also because
it gives music fans a way to discover musical genres and bands before
they reach the mainstream.
For example, if you had been in the Bahamas in the early summer of 2000,
and had tuned in to the island's top urban station, 100 JAMZ (100.3),
you just might have heard Nassau's own Baha Men. The band subsequently
soared to popularity in the US on the strength of its single, the junkanoo/hip-hop/dancehall
reggae inflected "Who Let the Dogs Out?" The song was quickly
adopted as the rallying cry for the 2000 major-league baseball playoffs.
Of course, the Baha Men's success story is the exception to the rule.
But, the advent of online radio means that even the most obscure island
song doesn’t necessarily have to be an island-only phenomenon. For
example, online surfers have the same chance to experience Fiji's lovely
Georgina Ledua as the islanders themselves. Ledua's song "Sa oti,"
catchy and appropriately evocative of lush palm trees, reached number
one on Viti FM's Top 10 list, and it was available in streaming audio
from the station's Web site.
Not only are these sites excellent sources for undiscovered musical genres
and artists, but they can also serve as information resources for non-musical
aspects of an island experience. Richard Robbins, chairman of HomeViewMedia.com,
which builds Web sites for a variety of island stations, points to Jamaica's
IRIE FM site as just such a resource. "Our site is not geared to
someone who goes down to Sandals on spring break and just happens to turn
on the radio," he explains. "Those people are not really seeing
Jamaica. What we're doing is more for the tourists who are interested
in experiencing Jamaican culture and music." Robbins also points
out that while sites like his do have value for tourists, they provide
an excellent way for expatriates to stay in touch with their homeland.
In addition to the streaming audio on IRIE FM's site, you will find a
photo gallery with pictures of out-of-the-way destinations, news, message
boards, and information about Jamaica's annual carnival and music festivals.
Other island station sites also serve as rich sources of information.
On Maui, KPOA (93.5 FM), which broadcasts ethnic Hawaiian music, has an
extensive list of beaches, golf courses, and parks on its site. And LiveIreland.com,
an Internet-only radio station "broadcasting" traditional folk
and contemporary Irish music from Dublin, offers a wealth of links to
all things Irish.
Now, music may be a universal language, but if you don't speak an island's
language, you may have difficulty reading its Web site. Some sites offer
pages in more than one language (Tahiti's Radio Bleue site offers text
in French and English), but these are rare. Luckily, the icons for the
streaming audio feeds are easy to recognize. Even if you don't read Greek,
you can't miss the RealPlayer button at the top of Cyprus-based Radio
Proto's home page!
Whether you're planning your next vacation adventure or would simply like
to spark fond memories, island radio stations on the Internet can be undiscovered
gems. So, what are you waiting for? Start surfing!
***
Where
to find the sites:
100
JAMZ (Bahamas)
IRIE FM
(Jamaica)
KPOA (Maui)
LiveIreland.com
(Ireland)
Radio Proto
(Cyprus)
Copyright
Lisa M. Moore
May not be reproduced in whole or part without my written
permission.
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