Theo Parrish has announced W.O.K.E., an online radio program “intended to musically educate listeners of all ages, with an emphasis on youth and Black and Brown people.”
Yesterday, Parrish’s team at Sound Signature took to Facebook to announce the new project, which is planned as a kind of answer to commercial radio in and around the Detroit area:
Much of the radio programming we hear around the city and across the nation is not aligned with our visions of self-determination, community, and self-love. Because we acknowledge the power music and sound has to program people, Theo and the rest of the team felt compelled to offer an alternative to commercial radio programming. We at Sound Signature wanted to produce a radio program that centers empowerment, history and the future. And want to make sure this music gets to OUR people.
The post also put a call out for any organizations involved in similar work and causes to reach out, and provided an email address to do so.
Parrish has had a busy 2017, and looks to continue that work into the new year with this project. His label, Sound Signature, have just repressed Parrish’s first release, 1996’s The Baby Steps EP. Back in March Parrish released Gentrified Love Part 3, which features collaborations with Amp Fiddler and Ideeyah.
W.O.K.E. is now live and you can tune in to the broadcast at wokeradio.net.
