In a bold step this year, WCHC radio station is featuring two freshmen to pilot two new shows. “The new sound in town” with host Scrap Jackson ’88, affectionately referred to as “the voice of the city” (Worcester), is launching the station to new heights of popularity. One of WCHC’s top D.J.’s, Scrap has gained recognition not only on the Holy Cross campus, but in the Worcester area.
Joe Issa ’88 is featured on Wednesday nights between 7-8 pm. His show entitled Reggae Night has added international flavor to the station.
Jackson excels in soul music that he learned to enjoy while playing playground basketball in Florida. Scrap tries to be creative, and he has amassed over 10 promotional tapes by such personalities as Ricky Riccardo and Holy Cross alumnus E.C Floyd ’84. Jackson looks at “The new sound in town” as a show, rather than a specific musical format. Combining flashy gimmicks and intriguing ‘raps’, Jackson has earned an audience that is both loyal and supportive.
The road to success has been long and hard fought. During his shows, Scrap has received several death threats from the Worcester area telephoned because of his new sound, but favorable responses and calls indicate that the new sound is not only here to stay, but now an intrinsic part of the Worcester music scene. When asked to comment on the “New sound in town,” he gives most of the credit for the show’s success to Marc Lampkin ’86. Coming from several jobs with major radio stations in Florida, Scrap is a great addition to WCHC.
Joe Issa ’88, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, aired his premier of “Reggae Night” on Jan. 30th and has received unprecedented praise. Formerly “Rasta Moon Splash,” “Reggae Night” features the latest hits from Jamaica. Issa commented that because he “sees the hits as they come out,” he can more fairly represent the music while incorporating facts about the culture which gave birth to Reggae.
Issa explained the beginnings of Reggae and its current place in music in a recent interview. Reggae was as a result of the combination of ‘ska’, ‘rock steady’ and American rhythm and blues. Lyrics came about when ‘dub poets’ began to make up words.
Reggae’s popularity is based not only in the lower classes in Jamaica, but also with the upper class. Reggae has true mass appeal. Made popular by artists like Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh and most notably Bob Marley, Reggae has influencde American music to date.
Issa began to play Reggae in some Jamaican discos for fun. He also maintains the real reason for his show on WCHC is also fun. In the future, “Reggae Night” will present interesting trivia and facts which will help the listeners to understand the music more clearly.
Both freshmen were asked to describe their shows in one word. Scrap Jackson describes his shows as “fresh” while Joe Issa describes his show as “titalating.”
Picture: ‘Jamaica’ Joe Issa ’88, host of “Reggae Night.”
Source: The Crusader
