By Howard Campbell—- 

 Sidony Smith (left) and Jamaican gospel artiste Papa San at the WAVS 1170 AM in Fort Lauderdale recently.—

This is the fourth in a 10-part series looking at Jamaicans excelling on the South Florida entertainment/lifestyle scene.

SINCE she was a teen, Sidony Smith wanted to be a broadcaster. That dream became reality over 10 years ago when she debuted as DJ Flamze on Linkz FM, an independent radio station in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland.

Smith went on to other radio gigs, working at Vybz FM, Zip FM and Radio Jamaica before migrating to the United States four years ago. She is still on the airwaves, hosting the weekly Triple S Jam programme on WAVS 1170 AM in Fort Lauderdale.

A born-again Christian, Smith says the two-hour show, particularly the music, reflects her faith.

“As a mark of respect, first to God, there are just certain genres that we do not incorporate in the planning of our show. Not that we have forgotten our roots, but because quite frankly the state of dancehall and hip-hop right now is not impressive,” she told the Jamaica Observer. “People are being degraded more than uplifted, women are debased…”

WAVS is regarded as the leading Caribbean radio station in South Florida. Its staff includes respected Jamaican broadcaster Winston Barnes and disc jockey John ‘John T’ Hodgson.

The Triple S Jam airs on Saturdays. It also features live interviews by Smith with Caribbean entertainers who live in South Florida, such as Jamaican gospel deejay Papa San.

John "T" Hodgson
John “T” Hodgson

Smith says most of her listeners are Caribbean nationals who comprise a sizable chunk of the South Florida population. While the music on Triple S Jam is not exclusively inspirational, she stressed that those who tune in are not too keen on secular sounds.

“They do not miss certain genres!” she exclaimed.

Smith was born in Linstead, St Catherine, a sleepy town famous for its market and early-morning mist. For most of her radio career, she was receptive to the hip, oftentimes controversial tone of dancehall.

But the St Jago past student learned the ropes from old pros like Tony Patel, Fae Ellington and Judith Bodley, established broadcasters who practiced more conventional journalism.

To date, the stations Smith has worked, are at different points on the Jamaican broadcast chart.

Linkz and Vybz (now off the air) were community stations in rural Jamaica. Zip, the sister station of Irie FM, is on the rise while Radio Jamaica consistently tops local listenership polls.

At WAVS, Smith returns to her roots as broadcaster at a small radio station. It’s something she does not mind.

“Jamaican/Caribbean radio is very much alive and kicking in South Florida, with several shows on the station tailored specifically for the Caribbean audience. Sponsors tailor their products to the Jamaica/Caribbean population, so that should tell you something,” she said.

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