Rihanna, Rihanna, Rihanna.

And now that I've probably driven off Butch for good (though not Evil), another Barbados-related piece that I found pretty interesting, from the magazine Circuit. This kind of thing shouldn't be a factor nowadays, but then again in a world where Black Entertainment Television and the MOBO Awards exist...

“Do not adjust the dial on your stereo, I am black.” These are the words from Annie, lead presenter/programmer on Mix 96.9 FM. In Barbados, like many other Caribbean islands, rock and its derivatives are generally viewed as taboo ‘white’ music.
Perhaps as a result of the eclectic music on her playlist (Annie stuffs her airtime with alternative, rock, pop and every shade of world music imaginable), many listeners seem to automatically tag a particular profile on Annie. The former model and Miss Bikini Barbados titleholder admits that she’s caused a few raised eyebrows when she initially meets people. "Some people will say stuff like I always thought you were white!" Some listeners have also called her at the station, asking what race she was – something she says she takes no offence to.
In Barbados, soca, hip-hop, reggae and other genres are viewed as more mainstream, and it’s sometimes a hard sell convincing Bajans that the average radio listener enjoys anything other than ‘urban’ genres of music. However, Annie contends that despite the stereotypes of music in Barbados, many Barbadians are rock fans, even if they are ‘closet’ rock fans, afraid to let people know they actually enjoy the selection she plays on air. To prove a point, she pulls out a collection of photos showing winners from her on air promotions. The vast majority of winners were indeed black, a point which Annie gleefully emphasized. “Music should never have a colour,” she muses.
She admits that it was a lot harder to be a rock fan in her earlier days. While in school she could usually be found holed up under the headphones of her Walkman (iPods weren’t around) listening to rock — a pastime which found her called into the principal’s office on at least one occasion.
Annie no longer has to report to the principal’s office to justify her listening preferences and seems determined to expose her listeners to a bit of everything that’s out there - no matter the genre.
Annie Quickfacts
Favourite Colour: Black
Favourite Movie: The Piano
Favourite Song: U2: "In the Name of Love"
Favourite Sport: Snowboarding
Jeans or skirts: Jeans all the way
Heels or sneakers: Heels
Favourite hobby: Taking care of 2 year-old son Tristan
Favourite Actor: Sean Connery
Favourite Actress: Charlize Theron
Favourite Ice Cream: Rocher