Choice

When I've had the time, I've been listening to Choice FM, and getting a lot of enjoyment from it. Choice is a local radio station mainly serving London's black and Afro-Caribbean community - a lot of the content is music-based, and it's a great place for keeping up with the music scene, particularly in areas like Gospel, which is still a genre that's largely uncatered for in the UK media. But there are also helplines and community forums, newsdesks, phone-ins, and current affairs discussion groups. Choice covers some of the same ground as the black newspaper The Voice, but because of its radio orientation it's more interactive, a genuine project of communication. There are two transmitters, one in Brixton, and one in North London, and it's hard to get reception outside of these areas - however, the station can be listened to on the Internet worldwide.

I have an individual reason for listening, for as a member of the Vox Simba community choir (I've been with them since 2001) I need to keep up with the music and community news. Vox Simba, under its director Colin Anderson, has been presenting concerts in and out of London for nearly five years now - a multi-ethnic choir with an emphasis on African and African Caribbean music, its range includes traditional gospel, African, and modern gospel, with repertoire including work by Kirk Franklin, Kurt Carr, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, and many other composers. Vox Simba's lead singers include Celia Anderson, who is best known for her work with Black Voices, one of the most creative and innovative vocal ensembles in the UK.

Vox Simba's next gig is at the Albany Empire, Deptford, on the evening of 19th June, when we'll be performing a full set around 11 pm.