Local DJ Junior Rodigan is a perfect metaphor for the music he plays: like reggae, his success flows from his respect and connection to the past. Junior Rodigan is essential to Boston’s reggae history. Junior Rodigan began his DJing career in Boston in 1986.Rodigan remembers playing in clubs all night and then going straight to after-hours parties, where he sometimes played until 6 a.m., during a time when the scene was plagued by conflict and violence.
Rodigan’s love for the genre began when he was very young. He was born in Iran and moved to the United Kingdom with his family at a young age. Inspired by the ROOTS ROCKERS radio show by DJ David Rodigan (no relation) on Capitol FM (and later Kiss FM), he taped show after show, replaying and studying what his unwitting mentor did on the air. " I used to tape David Rodigan's program, that is how I learned about Reggae " says Rodigan. " He really teaches when he plays music. I’m grateful that I learned about reggae in the UK from people like him because in the UK, the history goes deeper than in the US. "
Rodigan became a part of American reggae history in 1989, when he began making music. He practiced the DJ style chanting that is a part of dancehall reggae, and he soon began recording for the New York–based label Gyasi. He went on to record many successful songs, including " Get Here if You Can " with Igina, and started his own label, Mastermind, which put out several successful releases. However, in 1997, he stopped making his own music because it didn’t generate enough income to live on; from then on he concentrated on DJing, while also working on the occasional remix. Having worked in music retail since 1986, Rodigan opened Vibes Records on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester in the Spring of 1993. The store quickly became the center for all things reggae in the area with many in-store appearances by Jamaican acts such as Super Cat, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Buju Banton, Capleton, U-Roy and Bounty Killer.

Rodigan’s DJing career in Boston is longer than that of almost any other DJ in town. Over the years, he has watched the reggae scene change from primarily a Jamaican and West Indian crowd to a very diverse group of fans. He has also watched how the music has changed and forgotten its origins, which sometimes discourages him. However, Rodigan’s career offers a testament to the staying power of his genre. As always, his roots remains deeply planted in the heart of Boston’s reggae scene. "When I started, I really loved seeing [the reggae scene] grow, "he says. " I loved knowing I was a part of its growth and playing the songs before they were classics. I was there when it was all new. . . . The fact that I have been around so long tells me that I must be doing something right. How many other DJs in this city play at that many clubs for so long? That’s what I am most proud of. "
BY BREE ROLFE

From: Boston
Booking info: Junior Rodigan (617)265-0929