Céline said, “It enriches me, it allows me to know what’s happening in Martinique”

Céline comes from Ducos, and she is about to celebrate her 66th birthday in a few days. This retired mother uses her radio, tuned to RCI, primarily for informational purposes. As soon as she wakes up, her radio, located in her bedroom near her bed, is turned on. "I listen to the weather to know if I should go for a walk or not. I also want to know about opinions, favorite topics, and all that. So, I listen, and then I grab the 8 a.m. newspaper. I get out of bed, have my coffee, and check for the 8 a.m. news."

Regarding information, Céline considers anything that can be useful to her or her surroundings. "I turn on the radio for the 7 a.m. news to see what's happening. There are also other shows, including 'Un Jour, une Entreprise' (One Day, One Company). And then, there are crime reports or testimonials from doctors, specialists. It helps to stay informed, not to be alone either. And I do my cleaning at the same time, so I listen to the radio. There are shows about health, professionals speaking, keeping you informed about important things, like the diet to adopt, especially for people like me, etc."

Whether for good or bad news, Céline wants to be informed. The radio reassures her and allows her to stay connected to the population, to see the evolution of the Martinican people. "It enriches me, it allows me to know what's happening in Martinique. Well, some people exaggerate, express their opinions strongly, others do whatever. Also, to be aware. And not to fall into the trap. Maybe I'm already a victim of these strong opinions too. But also, expressions of love. It allows me to see how the country is doing, how people think, how they react, etc."

When she was a company employee, the radio was always present for Céline. At home, in the car, and even at her workplace, she found time to stay informed when she could. "When I worked, I had the same relationship with the radio. I listened to at least the 7 a.m. news, sometimes even the 6 a.m. news, it depended. In the car, at home if I had time. I even had a radio at work, depending on what I had to do; I didn't listen all the time."

Céline is not very playful; she prefers to leave the chance to others. Her interest is focused on information, not entertainment or games. "I don't play because I think there are people who are much more in need than me, so I don't see the point."

Now, let's talk about the famous obituary announcements, the most dreaded information for children yet very popular in the West Indies #wearemacrelles. Who, in their youth, has never had to listen to obituary announcements on the way to school in Mom or Dad's car? Admit that feeling of shame back then, especially when the radio played loudly, adan loto-a ki pa té ta nou! As for Céline, she is very selective about this. "I listen to the list, and if I really know someone, then I can listen to know more. But I find it tiring."

🙌 Thank you, Céline; you understand our suffering when we were children and had to be quiet to listen to that endless list… Sigh. 😪

Marie-Alice, "I can participate in the worship service remotely via the radio.

Let’s now turn to Marie-Alice, a 58-year-old woman from Lamentin. Radio plays an essential role in her spiritual life. Regardless of the medium used – phone, computer, or traditional radio – she can maintain her spiritual faith without leaving her home.“Radio is a strong point in my home. I listen to it either on my phone or on my computer. I receive a lot of information that does me good. Especially with this virus going around, I can’t move around too much, so it’s great that radio exists. This way, I can participate in worship from a distance via the radio. I can receive information, follow my worship at home, sing my praises, and it does me good.”.

Given her busy religious schedule, radio provides her with a sense of well-being because she has the opportunity to nourish herself a little more each day with hymns and prayers.

“I listen to worship on Radio Merci Seigneur on Sunday mornings from 9 am to 11 am. And during the week, there are also prayer meetings. Friday is the ‘Midnight Cry’ from 9 pm to midnight.It strengthens me, it strengthens my soul. I listen to the word of God through the radio. So it’s great that there’s radio because we can’t really gather together. During the week, there is Bible study on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and worship on Sundays, that’s it”.

On the radio, it’s not just that, during the day, there are messages that are broadcasted, there are testimonies, and a lot of uplifting content

In addition to worship times, Marie-Alice does not have specific hours to listen to her radio. It is almost always on. She also uses her radio to stay informed and focuses on positive waves and good news. ”I listen to Martinique 1ère, RCI, Radio Évangile Martinique, Radio Merci Seigneur. I listen to a little of everything, I am versatile. I turn on my radio as soon as I wake up, around 6:30-7:00. Even when I am not at home, I leave my radio on. I turn it off in the evening when it’s time for the news. And that’s it, the TV takes over from the radio”.

Cassandra said, “I am passionate about radio games”

Let’s finish with Cassandra, 31 years old, from Ducos. We are dealing with a radio game enthusiast. She clearly states that radio is her playground. I think her testimony will make you want to play. As for me, she made me want to play too.

By the way, she plays… and she wins. Like the lottery, many people say, “only others win”. Well, Cassandra played and won, not just once. I’ll let you read her fascinating testimony. She also shares some tips. Who knows, maybe you too will win great prizes thanks to the radio. Hopefully, she won’t get upset if you win in her place. 😂🤣

“I’m Cassandra. I’m 31 years old. I’m a radio game fanatic. I started playing radio games when I was 14. I’ve always loved winning. So for me, the challenge wasn’t just to participate, it was really to WIN.

I’ve played a lot of games. I’ve won quite a few prizes, including a round-trip plane ticket from Fort-de-France to Paris. I’ve won six mobile phones, countless movie tickets, passes to parties, gift baskets, I’ve won a lot of things. I started playing on NRJ, it was the radio station for young people. At 14, it was the radio station I listened to, at least at my time, the most listened to radio station. Then it expanded to RCI. So I played a lot on NRJ, RCI and also a little on Trace FM. Much less on Trace because you can’t listen to all the radios at the same time. But I’m passionate about radio games. At every jingle, at every moment of the game, I’m present. I really enjoyed the midday games on RCI. I would connect my radio to RCI’s channel and I would have 2-3 phones playing at the same time. The landline phone, my mother’s, my brother’s. In short, all possible phones available in the house. And sometimes I would even leave, it would take me on the road, I would stop to listen to the radio and participate [LAUGHS]. I put everyone to work.

I even had the misfortune [LAUGHS] of being, I won’t say banned, because well it’s not really the word, but I was prohibited from playing for some time on NRJ. Because I called too often, and so I won too often. Then I had a little trick, I put the gifts, the prizes in the name of my mother, my mother-in-law, or my husband. I made everyone win, so to speak. But in the end, it was me who won because I was the one participating in the games.

I left for ten years in the mainland. So for ten years, you could say that I stopped playing, except when I came on vacation. So as soon as I set foot in Martinique, the next day, I started playing again because it was a real passion. I came back permanently to the country since October, and I got back into it, but slowly. Well, at 31, I don’t have the same amount of time available as when I was fifteen. But it’s still as exciting and motivating. It’s something that I really appreciate, and I love this stress, so to speak. Being on edge, will it answer? Will I win?

And there you have it, honestly, it’s great, it’s something that I really appreciate. In fact, I recommend everyone to do it because it’s really a great experience.

Initially used for military purposes, radio quickly became a part of daily life in households. In Martinique, it is deeply rooted in our habits, whether for informational, spiritual, or entertainment purposes. So, radio isn’t just for listening to music or to set the mood during traffic jams gwo l***. 🤭 I’ll stop there, the carnival atmosphere seems to be calling me. See you soon.