For a quarter of a century, radio and television personality Sham G Ali has been entertaining local audiences with his soothing voice and extensive knowledge of East Indian content. And he has taken his talents beyond Trinidad and Tobago's shores with his radio show TBZ-The Bollywood Zone, which has been broadcasting in Guyana, Canada and the US. Ali is also the voice behind the recent Royal Castle advertisements.
Ali chatted with Newsday about the show in an interview last month.
"I'm part-owner of the advertising agency (Market Moguls Ltd) and we have strong affiliations with (Hindi language entertainment channel) Zee TV and various media houses locally and internationally. Two years ago or so, we began producing a weekly radio programme for Guyana, and recently it started airing in Toronto and New York with plans to reach the wider Indian diaspora."
Ali recalled the show began with a business trip he took to Guyana two years ago. During the trip, he and his wife met Franklin (Bobby) Vieira, CEO of Multicultural Communications Inc, who had recently opened the radio station Guyana's Lite 104.1FM. He had worked with the BBC for 40 years and was heavily involved in the government of former Guyana president David Granger.
Vieira told them he wanted to put some East Indian content on his new radio station and suggested a collaborative effort to create a radio product.
"And we created TBZ-The Bollywood Zone and created our own brand in Bollywood content."
Ali, who pointed out he is the only TT broadcaster operating in Guyana, and explained TBZ is a two-hour package and he took some inspiration on the format from veteran American radio personality Rick Dees, known for his weekly Top 40 programme.
"It is quirky, informative and edited sharp and tight. Like a Bollywood version (of Rick Dees)."
TBZ-The Bollywood Zone features international news, regional news, Bollywood news, and historical content and all the scripting and editing of the show is done locally for the weekly programme. Ali, who also works for local radio station Radio 90.5, said the Bollywood music is mostly new content, though he does play content from the 80s and 90s.
He added the programme also reports on the Bollywood box office and has a segment called History and the Hit which provides a historical context for a Bollywood hit.
[caption id="attachment_889556" align="alignnone" width="683"] Sham G Ali has been entertaining local audiences with his soothing voice and extensive knowledge of East Indian content for a quarter of a century. -[/caption]
Ali said his wife, Tara Singh, general manager of the couple's advertising agency, assists with the show's production and she is knowledgeable about Bollywood content.
The show also has a birthday club highlighting Bollywood and international celebrities.
"I have maintained throughout my career that it is not about only playing music. That is just a part of being a broadcaster. But informing listeners, giving interesting, palatable content is the cornerstone of what I have striven t
