Ujima celebrates 15 years of broadcasting

Ujima Radio is celebrating 15 years on the airwaves on Saturday with a huge party at the Bristol Beacon.

The lineup in the Lantern Hall from 8pm until 2am includes Celestine, Frilla, J Ellis and Lixen Khan, with an Ujima Radio showcase featuring DJ Style, Faada Sojie and Dancehall Generals hosted by Wordlife’s Krazy.

Now based out of The Station on Silver Street, Ujima is a non-profit organisation with lively discussions across a range of topics, alongside music from Bristol, the Caribbean, Africa and the rest of the world.

Ujuma relies on a team of volunteers – photos: Ujima

Here’s Ujima station manager Miranda Rae to explain more.

What does Ujima mean to you?

“Ujima is the swahili word for ‘collective responsibility’ and one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa and is at the very core of what Ujima Radio is about.

“Since launching in 2008 and as one of the only African and Caribbean community radio stations in the UK, we are fast becoming the most listened to local radio station outside of London.

“Our most recent listening figures online have shown we have grown exponentially in the last year, peaking at 76,000 live streams in just one hour, 246,000 on Listen Again service and we reach 120 unique countries worldwide, with 30,000 daily listeners on FM in Bristol and now we are on DAB reaching an extra 560,000 listeners across all of Bristol.

“We are incredibly proud of the fact that we are a non profit community organisation run by a team of over 150 volunteers. and yet we deliver radio that has won us multiple awards locally and nationally!”

Ujima has had thousands of volunteers over the last 15 years – photo: Ujima

What are some of the best bits about the station?

“It is a complete privilege to be able to nurture and support artists in the South West, to offer training and opportunities to people from the local community of all ages and offer a springboard for talent.

“There is nothing better than seeing a volunteer come to us and then see them springboard off to the BBC, Channel 4 or even to become the mayor of Bristol. Our list of alumni is incredible.

“But what is so crucial is being able to give a platform to voices that so often dont get heard, to cover issues – like Bristol24/7 also does – that otherwise wouldn’t reach mainstream media.

“Our listener demographics show our commitment to the Black British population:

• 17% of our listeners are of Caribbean heritage
• 11% are of African heritage
• 13% are dual heritage
• 21% other.

“In total, 62 per of our listeners are from non-white British backgrounds and our most engaged listeners live in high BAME concentration areas.

“We found that the wards with the most listeners in general match those wards with more than a 14 per cent BAME population as well as wards with high levels of inequality and deprivation.”

Why is Ujima Radio so important to Bristol?

“Ujima Radio broadcasts on FM and DAB in Bristol and online giving a platform to celebrate African and Caribbean cultures through music, projects and informative talk shows.

“We have been able to work on projects addressing issues of isolation amongst the elderly, with refugees and young people.

“We work on addressing issues that are particularly relevant to Bristol be that supporting the recently displaced residents of Barton House or to helping to support the organising of the BLM protests that took place in 2020.

“We have the privilege of being able to nurture talent be that local music artists, poets, writers, filmmakers and beyond.

“We even had Banksy come to us personally to announce the t-shirt Drop for the Colston Four back in 2021. For what is basically a volunteer-led community organisation, Ujima punches well above its wait!

• Provide career pathways into the radio, media and the arts
• Train, support and up-skill volunteers
• Act as a consultant for community organisations and businesses
• Provide a platform for showcasing local and international artists
• Work in partnership with the business, public, media communities and academia including our investors UWE Bristol, Bristol City Council and the University of Bristol to provide opportunities for collaboration.

What are you most looking forward to about the party on Saturday?

“Being able to thank the hundreds if not thousands of volunteers and community members and businesses that have gone above and beyond to support the station over the past 15 years!

“Without the support of all the volunteers and community we would never of being able to do what we do and this will be a chance to showcase just a slither of the incredible talent we have at the station, from likes of DJ Style, founders Kevin Philemon and Tim Kirby, past station managers who have given blood, sweat and tears.

“We also get to broadcast incredible local talent from Mercury Prize winners to originators of the Bristol Sound like Peter D Rose from Smith & Mighty, Flynnites, DJ Suv.

“We even have the daughter of Ranking Miss P and the niece of Rita Marley on the station and that’s just the music side!

“All our incredibly important speech programs like Glocal, Soul Health & Wellness with Rev Palmer, Conversations! with Lynn Mareno, our outstanding Black 2 Business and then of course the team that come in at the crack of dawn to do the breakfast shows and all as volunteers.

“DJs like Miss Divine that go above and beyond to mentor new presenters, this is our chance to say thank you.

“I wish I could list everyone as there are so many, especially my colleague Valentin, our CEO Madu who puts up with my madcap schemes and support me non-stop in this incredible radio station that never stops, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“Even throughout the pandemic we kept our doors open and here is to celebrating the next 15 years. Huge congratulations to everyone who helped get Ujima to this point and a massive thank you!”

Main photo: Ujima

Read next:

• Ujima Radio wins big at national awards
• Ujima relaunches chart show for artists in Bristol and across South West
• Radio station to celebrate anniversary with big party

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