Airwaves

by Brian Goslow

Unless you're a diehard fan of reggae or soul, it's easy to have all the music blend into one faceless work of art if the person at the controls is a master of the wheels. Having spent part of New Year's Eve listening to a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documentary on the history of Jamaican music (culled from two must-have collections celebrating the upcoming 40th anniversary of Island Records, Volume 1 1959-1964, Ska's the Limit and Volume 2 1964-1969, Rhythm and Blues Beat), I made it a point to put time aside on Friday night to check in with one of the city's longest radio traditions and see what's new on the island Bob Marley made famous.

Reggae Explosion continues the work Lee O'Neill started with Listen To Jah Music almost two decades ago. Hosted by Cool Chris every Friday from 8 to 10 p.m. on WCUW (91.3 FM), the show attempts to bond the city with music ("Af-rican, Af-ri-can-A-mer-i-can, Pue-rto Ri-can, Ja-mai-can - 91.3 where you get the reggae music for free"). "`Ninety-eight is in effect, yo!" proclaims the man with the mic, getting the evening going with shout outs to sound crews throughout the city, along with "the wicked men from Highland Street, the wicked men from Preston Street, and the wicked men from Dewey Street," and a track by Charlie Chaplin (who contributed "Rasta Row the Boat Ashore" to RAS' More Reggae for Kids compilation). He's followed by Cocoa Tea's "Consciously" from Holy Mount Zion (Tamla) and Luciano ("a wicked, wicked artist"), who rocks steady on "Going Back to Africa." Buju Banton scores big with "Cry No More" from Inna Heights (Germain/VP), which also includes an updated version of the Maytals' "5446 (That's My Number)," which the dance-hall superstar recorded with Toots Hibbert.

Sizzla's all over Reggae Explosion with tracks from two late-1997 releases, Praise Ye Jah (Jet Star/Xterminator) and Black Woman & Child (Greensleeves/Brickwall). Well into the show, Cool Chris features Tanya Stephens's "119" from Too Hype (VP Records) and the latest from Bounty Killer, "Not Ready To Die," which he calls "a wicked, wicked piece of truth."

CHUCK CHILLIN' TAKES OVER the microphone from 10 p.m. to midnight, mixing new and old-school grooves with guest rappers, and plenty of shout outs ("Big ups to my Upsala Street crew," "Big up to everyone in the bricks") on the Underground Mecca. The new rap releases from Busta Rhymes's When Disaster Strikes (Elektra-EEG) and L.L. Cool J's Phenomenon (Def Jam/PG) are mixed with soul and '70s dance classics by Stephanie Mills ("Putting a Rush on Me") and Indeep ("Last Night a DJ Saved My Life"). Local ragamuffin-style reggae rapper Rilla was also spotlighted.

The Underground Mecca is a tag-team effort, with Divena So Good Night People Production in Association with Urban Fire Entertainment making a special contribution. Cool Chris hangs around to lay down some raps, while Diamond T plays what he calls, "The anthem for '98," Big L's "Phat Joe," a call for the man to lay off brothers and sisters trying to make an honest living, and a new track out of D and D Studios by Pitch Black, featuring Baby Girl. "I Got You Back" matches rap with some sweet backing vocals, which guided my night with the self-proclaimed "Treacherous Three" to a happy conclusion.

BOSTON FOLK SONGWRITER Terry Kitchen is Rich Fox's in-studio guest on the January 13 New Traditions on WCUW. He'll perform selections from his fourth CD, blanket (Urban Campfire), between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m.