John Peel famously championed obscure music from unsigned bands. Tim Westwood did the same for hip-hop. And David Rodigan the same for reggae. His summer season of programmes – a sort of Reggae for Beginners – returned to Radio 2 last night and every track was a delight. I’ve been listening to Rodigan since I was at school and at first I wasn’t keen. He’s an actor and I initially thought that he was just playing the part of a reggae enthusiast. I couldn’t have been more wrong. His passion is genuine, all consuming and dates back more than 40 years. And yet Rodigan, Peel and Westwood all seem unlikely champions for music in which you wouldn’t think middle-aged, middle-class men would have any interest. But for introducing me to this track alone, I’ll be a fan of David Rodigan MBE forever.
Unlikely champions.

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