CARBBEAN POSH
Magazine excerpt (updates added):
Determination and perseverance are not in short supply with Chicago's Ladies of Reggae Radio. DJ Silky and P radiate sheer energy every time they step into the studio. These petite lady DJs with ear-to-ear smiles have been pumping reggae music out over Chicago's airwaves for nearly 10 years. As hosts of the award-winning Reggae Vibrations show- eve
ry Saturday night on WNUR, 89.3FM- P and DJ Silky, have been named Chicago's favorite reggae radio DJs for years on end (jamaicans.com). In addition to their weekly radio broadcast in the Windy City, their show has also been picked up by 226th Street Radio in Georgia and hotmix108.com in the UK. "The first thing you notice about them is how real they are," says Mobay One, a veteran reggae DJ at the station. This is not a coincidence by any stretch of the imagination. The easygoing Ladies were born to a Jamaican family from Clarendon, where they spent summers visiting their large extended family. As little girls, they spent hours listening to their father's vintage collection of 45s, including original releases from Bob Marley and the Wailers, Foulkes Brothers, and others. "When our parents had their little parties, what I remember most is how the music would affect everybody," says P. "Carlene Davis' 'Stealing Love' would get everybody on their feet, even in the wee hours of the morning when everyone was exhausted... and as if that wasn't enough, they just HAD to play it time and time again." P started hosting Reggae Vibrations during her third year of college at Northwestern University, where she earned a degree in broadcast journalism. She started her radio career at 14, when she was a high-school intern at WNUR-FM. Silky caught the fever at age 16, after coming to the studio with her sister. "I started spinning... after some reluctance, I've been told," says Silky. "Since the music is in my blood, it didn't take very long for me to catch on to selecting the tunes in the studio. From then I've had a love for it." Not long after learning the ropes at WNUR, Silky held a weekly Wednesday night stint as a selector at the Wild Hare, arguably the best-known reggae club in Chicago. The Ladies' love of reggae music gives them an uncontrollable urge to explore the reggae scene everywhere they go. Both sisters have a taste for adventure and they take advantage of it any chance they get. P has delved into Tokyo's "One Love Jamaica" reggae festival", grooved at "Reggae For Peace" and "Sziget" world music festival in Budapest, Hungary, and jammed to Jonny Ragga's music in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Silky cruised through the New York Labor Day parade on the Hot 97 float elbow-to-elbow with the likes of Sizzla, Elephant Man and Beenie Man. Over the years, the Ladies of Reggae have chatted up endless artists. Cocoa Tea, Vybz Kartel, Macka Diamond, Lady Saw and others have visited them in the WNUR studios. International reggae shows like Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009) have put them in touch with stars including Sean Paul, Buju Banton, Elephant Man, Ninja Man, and Shaggy, among others. A quick glance through their photo gallery shows these tiny women face to face with the best in the industry. Ask these girls about their favorite celebrity experience to watch their eyes light up and the mega-watt smiles appear. "It had to be the time we met Damian and Julian Marley at the House of Blues in Chicago," says P. "That's our favorite story." "We just came back from our cousin's wedding in Jamaica the night before," Silky chimes in. "And we each grabbed a shirt from our suitcase and went to the Luciano concert at HOB. Little did we know we'd run into the Marleys. They asked us where the party was after the show, and whether they could come along." "Next thing we know, we're leading a caravan down Lake Shore Drive to the Wild Hare," laughs P. "I had Damian Marley in my Jeep, and the guys were telling us they would be performing in Chicago the next day! Best believe we made it to their show too!"
One thing is certain: these ambitious sisters show no signs of slowing down. Collectively, they've gotten a Japanese reggae article published in Tokyo, hosted a Caribbean TV show (Tropical Riddims and Beats) in Chicago, and have tried their hand as entrepreneurs, selling "Jamaican girl" tee-shirts. In 2007, they convinced a major radio station to shift their format to include reggae music, and hosted the groundbreaking Reggae Link Radio for a year and a half. "Doing this will never be a burden to me," says Silky. "It's something that I was meant to do, so I'll never tire of it." For more information on The Ladies of Reggae Radio, visit: www.myspace.com/ladiesofreggae.
