Meet The Block and Frequencies, CBC Music's newest radio shows

Today, CBC Music announced two new national radio shows, The Block and Frequencies. These new programs, which will air on CBC Music and be available on the CBC Listen app, will bolster the discovery of Black and global music, respectively, and serve a wider range of musical interests and communities across Canada. 

Launching on Feb. 1 at 7 p.m., and airing five nights a week, The Block is a two-hour show hosted by Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe. Created by Tetteh-Wayoe and producer Judith Lynch, The Block is the home for music of Black origin. The music played will reflect the many intersections within Black music from across the diaspora: where soca meets pop (Rihanna) and where R&B meets reggaeton (J Balvin). You'll hear the transformative leaders in hip hop today (Haviah Mighty, Chika, Clairmont the Second), the elite artists with the ability to execute in multiple genres (Drake, Beyoncé) along with regular nods to the early influences of hip hop and funk.

"The Block is home. A place of belonging. It's community and familiarity. It is a reflection of the depth and breadth of Black cultural contributions and innovations in music," host Tetteh-Wayoe says. "I am so thrilled to be providing a platform to elevate the immense pool of talent in this country that has been largely ignored by traditional terrestrial commercial radio. Hip hop saved my life but I have been left gasping for something on the air that represented people who looked like me. With this show we can finally breathe." 

Debuting on Feb. 2 at 6 p.m., the weekly Frequencies will be hosted by Errol Nazareth and produced by Reuban Maan. Building on the format of Nazareth's popular Toronto radio show Big City, Small World, Frequencies will highlight musical storytelling from cultures and communities across Canada that are not always reflected. Listeners can expect music from Canada and around the globe, brought to life with the voices of the artists behind the music. 

"I've been championing the music emerging from Toronto's various ethnic communities — as well as music from around the globe — ever since I began writing professionally and working for CBC Radio 15 years back," says Nazareth. "I love discovering new sounds and sharing them — and the stories behind them — with listeners. To have the opportunity to do this on a national level is, quite honestly, a dream come true." 

"We are expanding our range of music programming to amplify voices and genres that have not consistently had a home on mainstream or national airwaves," Steve Jordan, senior director of CBC Music, said in a statement. "Adding The Block and Frequencies to our schedule is a part of our evolving strategy to connect and reflect a wider range of musical interests and communities across Canada. Angeline and Errol each bring an abiding passion and deep knowledge for the music that they will be sharing with the nation."