Suzy Bell: In your ear
Community radio sings through the green hills of KwaZulu-Natal in a variety of voices from romantic, Bollywood bhangra duets to Shiyane Ngcobo’s masterly Maskanda music.
Thanks to the Independent Broadcasting Authority, there are now five new community radio stations in the province, with each station snatching their niche in the market. If you tune into Radio Phoenix (88.4FM), expect a fluid flow of bhangra and chutney which is the station’s attempt to lure a younger listenership whom they fear are more interested in adopting Western culture. Unfortunately not much can be said for their inane “women’s talk” on floral art and “how to treat warts, pimples and pigmentation”.
Flipping to Durban Youth Radio (DYR) at 105.1FM, based at the University of Natal, I expected fare to be far more hip and appealing, I was not impressed by the music which smacks of American R&B. But as smooth-voiced DJ Philani Nkabinde explained: “The record companies supply us with overseas music – if we were given more local music we would play it.”
Dave Marks of 3rd Ear Music, which promotes local music, says he has met with the youth radio station to talk about joint promotions. But he says: “Community radio has to go live. They should start with recording concerts on campus. With today’s technology in clubs, the sound is very good. If they did it with Buddy Holly in the 1950s where stations went live, they can do it in the 1990s.”
To their credit though, the station does play kwaito and broadcasts educational health programmes, matters on money, relationships, and lesbian and gay issues; they chat about generation gaps and even offer advice on what to do if your key gets jammed in your locker.
Aimed at the 14 to 35-year-old market, DYR reaches audiences in Umlazi, Lamontville and Chesterville and even down to the south coast in Amanzimtoti.
Their popular Saturday phone-in programme on topical issues is broadcast between 12pm and 3pm.
Just a dial flip away, Highway Radio (101.5FM), is sponsored by Christians in big business, so we’re talking bible dramas with a contemporary edge and burbling preachers screeching alarmist phrases like: “Does hell know your name?”
On this station, the only music you’ll hear is gospel. Assistant station manager Bev Camitsis says they are aiming at Christians between the ages of 16 to 60. At the moment the station swops over to Zulu from midnight to 6am but in April it kicks off in Zulu, wisely much earlier at 9pm.
One or two DJs speak with phoney African-American accents and love to play Andre Crouch, Albertino Walker, and Al Denson, all African-American Christian musicians.
Cliff Richard is also very popular and so are the local Christian bands, whether in English or Afrikaans. Rebecca Malope gets loads of airtime as do local Zulu gospel bands like Family Factory, Family of God and Foundation of God.
Another Christian station is Good News Community Radio (98.0 FM) which operates from a Christian mission station to listeners in Chatsworth, Stanger and Ndwedwe. They broadcast alternatively in Hindi, Tamil, Telegu, Gujurati, Zulu, English and Afrikaans. They are into “taking church on to the streets and preach about “saving those who are lost.” Expect more Christian talk than Christian music.
An exciting rural community station is Radio Khwezi (90.5FM or 107.7FM) which operates from Kwa-Sizabantu (located between Stanger and Greytown) and covers a massive chunk of the province. You can tune in to the station if you are in the Natal Midlands, or as far away as Kliprivier and Bergville, right down to Richmond and Camperdown.
Predominantly broadcast in Zulu (alternating with German, English and Afrikaans) the programmes focus on development and education and are essential listening for those interested whether they be in matric or have just begun an adult literacy programme.