There are a number of similarities between the people of Newfoundland and Ireland. One in particular is their love for traditional Irish music. Alice O’Keefe of Placentia shares that love and broadcasts it every Friday and Saturday night on Irish Country Music Radio.
O’Keefe’s hobby as a DJ didn’t happen on purpose, but was something she fell into. After getting connected with DJs working with Irish Country Music Radio through social networking websites, as a joke she suggested she should become a DJ.
“I got a music room on Paltalk called ‘Newfoundland Irish Country Kevin Collins Music’. I opened it about 10 years ago to promote Kevin and I invited Pat Garrett (a DJ from Irish County Music Radio). When Pat Garrett heard me on the microphone he sent me a message that said ‘I love your accent.’ I said, ‘what accent?’ I didn’t know I had one. And so he said it again the next time I went up to play my song. (As a) joke, I said ‘sure I’ll go DJ for ya.’ He said, ‘would ya?’ I said ‘yeah ‘still thinking that it wasn’t possible and he said ‘okay.’ That’s how I started, because he heard my accent,” explains O’Keefe.
Irish Country Music Radio is an online radio station. It has listeners from all across the world. The website was started in May 2008 and has been growing ever since. O’Keefe has had 14 shows so far.
“It’s certainly doing a wonderful thing for artists around the world. No matter if your amateur or well known you can put your albums in and your music. And of course when I became DJ, I certainly brought a lot of Newfoundland artists to the station. Its heard all over the world,” says O’Keefe.
She loves that she is able to give coverage to artists from all over the world.
“People can go in and request a song and you can see all the new releases of the artists in the site. You see their singles and their albums. It’s great exposure for all the artists and since I became DJ its really great exposure to Newfoundland artists. Any artists who have new CD’s come out I’d be only too glad to play them. I had a lady from New Zealand send me hers, so really from all over the world. I get artists online from Ireland and all over sending me their music to play. I just love to promote them. I love music dearly I grew up with it,” says O’Keefe.
O’Keefe’s show is aired twice a week.
“My show is prerecorded. I have a new show every Saturday and that show is repeated on Friday. Saturday it’s on at 8:30 p.m. NL time and Fridays at 3:30 p.m. NL time.”
O’Keefe’s role as DJ is voluntary. She grew up in a musical family and is the youngest of 11 children. When she was growing up she said that on Saturday mornings her family had a radio show called 'The Big 6', that played all Irish music.
To hear O’Keefe’s show visit the Irish Country Music Radio website at www.irishcountrymusicradio.com.
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Great story. Alice is a true music lover and that's why it comes easy to her. She speaks from the heart and it's obvious that she loves helping musicians and recording artists promote their stuff. Thanks Alice!