The Block is a weekly Black music radio show featuring hiphop, r&b and afro-pop. It airs daily at 7PM EST (that’s 5:00pm MST) with a couple of familiar voices.
her [Miss Ange] unique storytelling and captivating natural delivery bring a rare and authentic voice never before heard in the Canadian Radio landscape.
Its… about… TIME
The landscape for music in Canada lacks diversity – to say the least. With the recent controversy surrounding the Weeknd’s Grammy snub, it’s more important now than ever for Canada to properly commit to an infrastructure that supports our biggest “urban” talents.
Last fall, the word “urban” was encouraged to be removed by major labels. Arguably, this much-needed rebranding must extend toward the versatile range of Black music. Since this is the case, the extents of hip-hop, rap, R&B, afrobeats, reggae, dancehall and more will be deeply explored, explained, and exposed.
A Calgary legend
Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe, aka ‘Miss Ange‘ spent time in the early 2000s building Calgary’s peak urban radio effort with Vibe 98.5. Her voice, DJing, and production prowess shot the show straight to #1 in the market. Miss Ange has since relocated to Toronto where she now hosts ‘The Block.” Her ambitious production projects and her unique storytelling, mixed with a captivating natural delivery, bring a rare and authentic voice never before heard in the Canadian Radio landscape, and we couldn’t be more excited to buckle up and ride this wave.
Recently, another veteran in Calgary music has been drafted to add her magic to “The Block.” Rapper/Singer/DJ Sinzere provides the theme music with ‘Let’s Get It’ – an upbeat rap track laced with charisma and candour, borrowing the “get this money” lyrics in the hook from G-Dep’s ‘Special Delivery’. Make sure to check the vibe and full song here.
If you’re an artist, you should be excited about Canada’s newest Black music platform. Furthermore, if you support local, you should be ecstatic that it’s being launched with two women from Calgary in the mix. Whether for geographical or gender reasons, representation in all forms, matters. Praise these women, honour these women, and most importantly, support this show so that we improve the opportunity to discover more Black talents nationally. #letsBuild
Follow The Block on Social Media: Twitter: @TheBlockCBC Instagram @TheBlockCBC
Sources:
https://www.tvo.org/article/the-politics-of-music-why-the-canadian-music-scene-lacks-diversity
https://www.buzzfeed.com/natashajokic1/the-weeknd-grammys-snub-interview
https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/record-labels/9397048/republic-records-bans-urban-encourage-music-industry-to-follow
https://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/bio/angeline-tetteh-wayoe
https://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/program/the-block
