Radio, for Haji Mike, has always been less about transmitters and towers and more about connection, community, and circulation. His journey on air began back in 1980 at University Radio Essex (URE), the student station of the University of Essex. Like many great radio stories, it started in a university setting: improvised studios, passionate volunteers, and the thrill of broadcasting ideas and being thrown in at the deep end. In fact, his first ever radio interview was with Misty In Roots in 1980—a band he has followed closely ever since—and was given to him with about 60 minutes notice. Haji was simply told, “Do you want to interview the band just before the gig?’ Who would have thought that joining a radio society during ‘freshers’ week would become a lifelong practice? Parallel to radio and music, he also developed an academic career at The University of Nicosia, where he became a Professor, and one of the classes he developed there is about ‘Internet Radio’.
Following his early years at URE, Haji Mike moved through a range of commercial, land-based radio stations in Cyprus, sharpening his craft and developing his skills as radio technology and formats developed. These years grounded him in the discipline of radio while keeping intact his instinct for selection and his deep commitment to reggae, roots music, and socially conscious sounds.
A major shift came around 2009, when he joined BigUp Radio, a pioneering US-based online radio initiative at a time when internet radio was still finding its feet. This marked a decisive move away from traditional FM broadcasting toward net-based radio, a space that allowed greater freedom, global reach, and independence. It also meant his radio shows were not marginalised. Being on a Reggae based net station with 5 different streams, all dub genres of Reggae, Lovers, Dancehall, Roots, Ska and Dub, was a liberation. Crucially, this moment also made Haji Mike the first person to ever podcast from Cyprus, placing the island on the emerging global podcasting map.
His long-running Outernational radio show became a key platform during this period. Archived on Podomatic, the series features in-depth interviews with reggae artists, producers, and cultural activists, capturing voices and conversations that sit outside mainstream media. These podcasts stand today as an important audio archive of reggae’s global conversation in the digital age.
Throughout the 2010s, Haji Mike continued to push boundaries, featuring on innovative net-based stations such as Versionist and OMY Radio, while also playing an instrumental role in setting up Blind Dog Radio, reinforcing his commitment to grassroots, community-driven broadcasting.
Today, his voice is heard weekly across three net-based stations: Nice Up Radio (USA), Riddim 1 Radio (Jamaica), and his own Koubebi Radio (Cyprus). Each platform is a different branch in a truly transnational radio network.
From 20 February, the circle is complete. Haji Mike joins Flirt FM 101.3FM in Galway, Ireland, alternating weekly with Warren Roots on a new show called WorldWide Ting. The two Interstellar Selectors will journey through deep Reggae and Dub Roots. Flirt FM is a student-run initiative that grew out of the University of Galway, making this return to student radio especially symbolic.
Thirty-six years after his first broadcast, Haji Mike is back where it all began—on student radio—only now with a global audience. Catch WorldWide Ting, starting 20th February, live on Fridays 10–11pm @ www.flirtfm.ie or 101.3FM in Galway, Ireland.