David Rodigan to be honoured by The Queen

British radio jock and selector David Rodigan has been given an honour award from the Queen of England for his contribution to broadcasting.

Rodigan, who is known as a popular reggae selector and sound-system warrior, has been appointed a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire or MBE in The Queen's New Year's Honour List.

The selector has been involved in broadcasting for more than 30 years. Rodigan currently presents a late-night reggae show on London's Kiss 100 every Sunday at 11 p.m.

The date for the presentation of awards is yet to be announced, but will take place at Buckingham Palace in the summer.

Rodigan told The Gleaner on Tuesday how he found out about the award.

"I was asleep in a Berlin hotel room on Saturday morning, having performed at an all-night reggae jam at the Yaam Club, when my phone just went crazy, buzzing with text messages and then my wife called me from London to tell me that it had been announced on the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) that I had been awarded an MBE."

Promoting j'can music

Rodigan started his career at the BBC in 1978, before moving on to Capitol Radio and later, Kiss 100. At each station, he offered a diverse playlist of Jamaican music that earned him a huge fan base throughout Europe, Japan and North America. During the 1980s, Rodigan was a regular visitor to Jamaica, featuring in several sound-system clashes with popular disc jockey Barry G, who was then with the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation.

He said: "I felt very honoured that the award had been given for my services to broadcasting. but I was especially proud of the fact that reggae music was also being honoured, as this is what I have been broadcasting for over 30 years on radio."

Last year, the disc jock returned to his roots at the BBC as host of its 10-part summer, soul and reggae series. Rodigan hosted a reggae special on BBC's Radio 2, looking back at 50 years of Jamaican popular music. He is also preparing a series of Classic Reggae Memory Modules for broadcast in the spring on Irie Jam Radio in New York.

The MBE is a British order of chivalry established on June 4, 1917 by King George V.