Sadly, the technical quality of this broadcast recording is very poor – not well recorded at the time – well worn from most likely too many playings, but an important document from a period of time when Segregation was an American way of life with the first glimpses of changing all that began around 1947 by way of the Military.
But America was, for the most part, a segregated nation and would stay that way into the 1960s. Perhaps not so much in the north, but the South was adamant about maintaining the status quo, even down to what radio was playing.
Separate water fountains, separate movie theatres, separate record stores and separate radio stations. By the late 1940s it was still unusual for Black performers to appear on predominantly white radio programs – radio shows which catered to an African-American audience were the sole property of those radio stations run by African-Americans and for African-Americans.
This particular program, a 15 minute snippet of a show that undoubtedly ran longer, features a disc jockey only known as Jiva Boy – who he was away from the microphone is anyone’s guess – the radio station, KALB in Alexandria Louisiana is long gone – the call letters now belong to a television station and virtually no trace of this station exists, save for this one example – and a pretty wild example it is. This portion of the program is sponsored by a Wine company and Jiva Boys wails in ecstasy over the virtunes of Muscatel, Claret and Berry Wine.
If you’ve ever thought Radio had no color line, this is a prime example of what was one of the staples of the Black Community, particularly in the rural South.
Like I said, the sound quality is terrible – it does improve as the show goes on, but the sheer hysterics this disc jockey goes through is worth wading through the mud to get to.
Listen closely.
