In Ghana, radio stations don't sit atop the city's tallest building... Instead, I trudge every morning up Cape Coast's tallest mountain.
Yes FM is a friendly place. Presenters take photos of themselves or even answer their mobiles during their programs. Hip life music blares almost as loudly as the political diatribe from impassioned callers.
Here my radio name is Elise Efua Beacom, or just Efua (my Fante name). There have been rumours circulating that I'm actually a Ghanaian woman changing her voice to sound like a white lady so one day I had to tell my life story to the listeners as proof of my origins.
I say a few fante phrases on the radio too because it makes my colleagues laugh. I also had the embarrassing job of recording some 'jingles.' That's right... I'm the annoying voice that says "Shake your booty, you're listening to Yes FM!" So my voice might remain in the airwaves long after I've left Cape Coast.
In the mornings, I read the newspaper leads so they can be translated into the local dialect. Guests also come on the morning show and discuss issues. One man came on to talk herbal remedies. I had to stifle laughter as he told us his remedy for alcoholism... He said alcoholics should mash mango leaves and mix them with... (wait for it...) gin. Boozers should drink this tonic daily before breakfast... hmmm.
Sometimes I'm a special guest on Dela's morning show and I give my Australian two cents on anything from power-sharing politics to female genital mutilation. The three regular panelists are informed and forward-thinking, making for some feisty debates.
In the evenings, I read the foreign news which was formerly a copy-and-paste-job from the BBC website. Now I edit the stories into radio-friendly scripts.
Doing the foreign stories is great because I can avoid the long Ghanaian names like Nana Ama Adzo Okudzeto. Try getting your tongue around that one!
