Local radio station pays tribute to Bob Marley

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Richard Flores (right), Programme Coordinator of Hot 104.1 FM with local artist Kelly Williams.

The Cayman Islands’ only all-Caribbean radio station Hot 104.1 FM celebrated music legend Bob Marley’s birthday on Tuesday, 6 February, with a 24-hour tribute.

For one day, Hot 104.1 FM changed its name to Bob 104.1 FM, and for 24 hours straight, the station played nothing but music by Bob Marley.

Since Bob Marley’s death 26 years ago, his position as a cultural icon has continually grown and today he is recognized around the world as a legendary ambassador of reggae music and Jamaican culture.

Over the course of the day, Bob 104.1 FM featured music from Bob Marley’s early days as a local phenomenon in Jamaica and throughout his storied career as the first true reggae superstar.

Richard Flores, Programme Coordinator for Hot 104.1 FM, has been working hard to ensure that Bob 104.1 FM has literally hundreds of Bob Marley songs spanning his entire career.

“We have an amazing selection of songs, from ones that everyone knows and loves to live cuts, studio outtakes, acoustic versions, and rarities that even the most hard-core Bob Marley fan seldom gets to enjoy,” Mr Flores said.

“Putting together an event like this has been a lot of work, but it is a labour of love for all of us.”

The special day isn’t limited to music. Local artist Kelly Williams has created a limited number of hand-painted Bob Marley shirts.

Only a small number of these shirts were produced, and they were given away to Bob 104.1 FM listeners throughout the day.

Sponsors Western Union and Digicel also joined Bob 104.1 FM to support the event by giving away shirts and cellular phones and other prizes at their locations and on the air.

As an additional tribute to Bob Marley, for one day the Hot 104.1 FM website was changed to www.bob1041.ky and was loaded with information about Bob Marley, his life, family, and his legacy.

Hot 104.1 FM, a BET affiliate, plays a mix of reggae, soca, and calypso and prides itself on being the only station in Cayman dedicated entirely to Caribbean music.

Hot 104.1 FM is one of four radio stations operated by dms Broadcasting, a subsidiary of dms Organization.