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Elise Kelly IRAWMA Award of Honor

Published in IRAWMA 38th Magazine

Elise Kelly is the voice behind one of Irie FM’s top programs “Easy Skanking”. The veteran broadcaster has won many hats: senior producer, presenter, interviewer and actress over the past 30 years.  Elise started out in media reading news segments at the Agency for Public Information (API).  Years later she worked as a television producer/host at the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), hosting along with Gary Neita and Diane Lewis, the award winning programme “Night View”.  During that time, Elise explored her first love, “acting” parlaying her acting skills on many Jamaica television productions.

Elise’s first time in radio was in 1985 as radio host/announcer on Fame FM.  There she says Francoise St Juste ,taught her how to operate a board; the late great Cecile Wilson taught her to be a broadcaster and Narda Manderson taught her how to “stand in her own truth”.   She began her journey at Irie FM, one year after the station officially started broadcasting. Elise says this is where her skills developed as a professional host/MC, which led her to hosting Reggae concerts locally and internationally.  In addition to hosting Easy Skanking, Elise also hosts “Heart Mind & Soul2Soul” and in-depth interview program.  “The programme showcases the indomitable spirit of people, particularly Jamaican people” she says.  Through her conversations, Elise added that “serving is her passion, while music, theatre and the arts are her loves; her evolution is her mission and nature is her life”.  Elise Kelly’s most treasured and proudest moments is “motherhood” and her sons Dejazmach Tafari and Daniel Orlando are the “wind beneath her wings”