$mooth Groove$ is Atlantic Canada’s longest-running Black music radio show. Hosted by Ryan “R$ $mooth” Somers, the program has aired on CKDU 88.1 FM since June 1998, growing out of Somers’ earlier years co-hosting Funk-N-Effect with his mentor, the late DJ Delight (Kendall Mulder).
Somers created $mooth Groove$ at a time when hip-hop, R&B and reggae had little presence on Halifax commercial radio. Envisioned as something like the “BET of Halifax radio,” the show became a home for hip-hop, R&B, reggae and other Black music while helping introduce listeners to music that could otherwise be difficult to hear locally.
Over the decades, $mooth Groove$ has also provided an important platform for Nova Scotia artists and Black communities. The program plays local music, features interviews and promotes community events and initiatives, with community members able to share information through the show.
Somers’ work on Smooth Grooves forms part of a wider career in radio and DJing that has included commercial and public broadcasting, live events and radio education. In 2023, Smooth Grooves celebrated 25 years on the air.
