Get Guardian on GoogleBroadcaster, producer, and disc jockey (DJ), Josiah Jachimike Okonkwo, known as JJ ‘Dejocular’ Okonkwo is amplifying the Nigerian sound—Afrobeats—in Canada’s music scene. With nearly two decades in the media and entertainment industry, he has contributed to some of Nigeria’s top platforms, including Cool FM and News Central TV.
Growing up in a family of singers in Lagos, JJ ‘Dejocullar’ was surrounded by music from a young age. “From my father’s record collection to my brother’s cassette tapes, I developed a deep love for rhythm and lyrics that has stayed with me throughout my career,” he said.
His passion for Afrobeats led him to create Inside Afrobeats with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Canada, a show celebrating African culture on a global stage after moving to St. John’s in 2023, when he discovered that most radio stations played only mainstream Western music with little representation from Afrobeats.
“I felt disconnected; it did not reflect the multicultural reality of Canadian society, and that, to me, was a gap,” the broadcaster explained.
According to him, the four-part audio series which airs on CBC Radio channels, including Edmonton, Newfoundland, and Vancouver, explores the Afrobeat’s history and its global impact. It’s available for Canadian listeners online at cbc.ca/insideafrobeats.
“The goal is to amplify Afrobeats. It is about the sound, the stories, the culture, and ensuring that African voices are part of the national conversation in music and media,” he said.
For the DJ, actor, and creative storyteller, with passion about sharing African culture through sound and visuals, “Afrobeats is more than music; it is identity. It blends with any genre while remaining proudly African. The beats bring joy, but it is the storytelling, proverbs, and punchy lyrics that make it truly unique,” he noted.
