Last week was a busy week with a few radio interviews. BBC Asian Network’s Entertainment News covered the project. It was aired as a 3-min short at the end of the news programme flagging up the project and issue of Asian homosexuality. I hadn’t done a telephone interview in a short while. I was reminded how a live or studio recorded interview is preferable where possible to a telephone recorded interview. A telephone recording when broadcast can sound flatter, and a little lacking in energy and spark. It was great to get the coverage.
I received a text on Friday from a friend:
“Random! Was buying samosas on Dudley Road. Radio was on talking about your project. It’s def out there!”
And I thought that I’d done my job. That’s the great thing about the Asian Network – a national broadcaster… It can get into all sorts of nooks and crannies as it’s listened to by so many people – especially Asians of all backgrounds.
The interview is available to listen to for another 3-days. 
On Friday I had an interview with Gaydio in Manchester – a north West community radio station. Andrew Edwards runs The Sunday Forum on Sunday mornings from 7-9am. This was a studio recorded interview. Andrew was great. He has quite a casual chatty style.
I was delightfully surprised when he asked me to pick a song to play in the middle of the interview. I chose, True Colours by Cyndi Lauper. Firstly it is a landmark song etched into my youth. I was 11 in 1986 when it was released. Cyndi certainly was ‘alternative’ yet accessible during my diet of popular chart music. And the subject felt appropriate: overcoming your inner fear and being who you are, because that’s OK, in fact it is beautiful.
For those that don’t know Cyndi Lauper is an activist for LGBT equality. She co-founded the True Colours Fund which sets out to inspire and engage all, especially straight folk in the advancement of LGBT equality.
Andrew informs me that he played an edit of our interview on ALLFM yesterday too. This gets repeated on Tuesday 12th Febraury at 9am. This can be heard in Manchester or online.
I recorded another telephone interview; with Kiran Kaur of Sunrise Radio, an Asian Southall-based radio station covering Greater London. The station’s plans to cover LGBT issues during a week of programming to mark LGBT History Month (February) I think very progressive and commendable. It is not yet known when the week will be broadcast but there’s another 17-days left in the month.
Keep the interviews coming…
Safar... 