Dispel Myths About The Genre Of Reggae & The People Who Avidly Consume It

I'm Kahlil Wonda, co-host and producer of the Reggae Lover podcast. I'm a veteran radio and nightclub DJ, and sound system selector who co-founded Highlanda Sound in the ’90s. I have produced digital content and events plus performed at venues all over the USA, the Caribbean, and Japan. With an unwavering respect for and deep knowledge of reggae music, I don't intend to deprive anyone of this art form.

My co-host, ĀGARD is a registered member of ASCAP, a DJ, and a producer who has produced tracks for genres such as House, Pop, Hip Hop, Dancehall Reggae, and EDM. Whether ĀGARD is rocking a party or producing music, his mission remains the same – to spread positive energy and positive vibes through his various forms of artistic expression.

Together we host Reggae Lover to entertain and promote reggae music worldwide. Reggae Lover aims to surpass all expectations for quality and dispel myths about the genre of reggae and the people who avidly consume it.

Podcasting provides the ultimate in convenience for me and my listeners alike versus doing live radio or events. I am a big fan of on-demand audio including podcasts. My podcast allows me to continue my mission of pushing reggae music without being in the clubs any longer. I started putting out episodes that were 80-95% music with brief talking segments at the start and end. This has transitioned into a 100% talk format. The first podcast I ever did was in 2009. The Reggae Lover podcast started in 2014.

In the beginning, the majority of the time I spent on my podcast happened to be late at night when my kids and wife were asleep. Now that what I'm doing is established I schedule things for when it makes the most sense. I release an episode weekly and it takes about 4 hours to produce each one. My current host is free and I do my own editing and artwork. Marketing and premium tools/services are where I spend most of the money on my podcast, which I fund myself primarily. I have gotten donations and have landed sponsorships that helped with costs.

Personally, podcasting is a powerful creative outlet. Receiving feedback from listeners, meeting new people, and helping to spread the reggae gospel are some of the most rewarding outcomes from my podcasting experience. I do take sponsorship. My first sponsorship was through a connection of mine who was looking to promote a new business venture. I approached him about doing sponsorship and we came to an agreement. At that time we had about 16,000 downloads per month. We have twice as many downloads now one year later and we are looking to partner with more sponsors.

I record and edit using Audacity, Garageband, and my co-host uses Logic Pro as his DAW. We use Zoom to connect remotely as we are in different states. The host I use now is RedCircle. Most of our guests materialize organically. We have talked to many personal contacts in the music business on the podcast. Some other folks ended up reaching out and pitching us. If they are a good fit, we invite them. My co-host and I collaborate to come up with content for our segments ahead of time. When we hit record our energy and passion just tend to flow.

I market via my own email list and website.

We also use Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, Soundcloud, and Youtube heavily. Listeners can find our show on any podcast platform: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, and all the others. Outside our big 3, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Pandora, we get the most traffic from Google. Good SEO has helped to get the word out about our show in a major way.

My best advice for aspiring or new podcasters is that podcasting is a long game. It's not a sprint. Don't expect results overnight. Just like when starting anything new, I recommend doing your research, not only about your topic but also about the podcasting industry. I have been doing this for 10 years and I continue to be a student. This is a dynamic, rapidly expanding industry so if you don't stay up on the latest news and trends you will miss opportunities. Here are a couple of books that I would recommend. Before launching, "Podcast Launch," but John Lee Dumas. After launching, "Big Podcast," by David Hooper.

Through my website reggaelover.com you can learn more about me and my podcast. Visit for links to my blog, social accounts, email newsletter, and more.