Today we’d like to introduce you to Ahmed Dents.
Ahmed, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started with Smooth Jazz 98.1 as a promotional assistant in 2005. I was working as a maintenance engineer at the Spreckels Building & Theatre in downtown San Diego at the time. I had always wanted to work on the radio since I was a kid but being a knucklehead in my early twenties earned myself an extended stay in the illustrious California Department Of Corrections. At age 30 I was back at square one.
Smooth Jazz 98.1 had been one of my favorites since high school. I believe it was a Mindi Abair concert at the Spreckels that KIFM was sponsoring where I talked to the promotional director at the time, Kimberly Bianco, and asked her what I had to do to get into the building. If they needed someone to dump trash at night, I was the guy. I just needed to get into the station and I knew eventually I would get on the air. I went from promotions to production to airstaff. 14 years later I am still here hosting Smooth Jazz After Dark nightly.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think I like taking all the roads but smooth ones. Of course, dealing with the stigma and shame of being formerly incarcerated amplified the struggle of trying to reenter and reintroduce yourself to society and fatherhood. Couple that with working in radio and performing arts.
Two very public fields, were difficult spending much of my time shielding that past from people. Not to mention, if we are being honest, San Diego is not known for being a haven for blacks in mainstream media. But we deal right? The biggest hurdle has been getting over the death of my 14-year-old nephew Jonathan in 2009. That spurred another level of depression that I am just now getting the upper hand on.
We’d love to hear more about your work..
I think I was born to be on the microphone. My nightly radio show is called “Smooth Jazz After Dark” from 7 PM to Midnight on Smooth Kazz KIFM HD2. We feature national and local Smooth Jazz and R & B artists. My tag is that we are there to help you “put the workday in the rearview one Smooth Jazz Track at a time”. There is no drama and no worries. Just smooth sounds and vocals to help you unwind.
I take pride in that because in today’s society t seems all we see is angst, fear, and anger. Its pushed and sold to us. Its almost the order of the day. I like being able to provide a space where that doesn’t exist. Also spurred by my curiosity about other people and cultures I started the “More Than A Voice Podcast”, designed to be a platform for candid and uninterrupted conversations with some of the most interesting and creative people in San Diego. Most of the time there is no direct subject manner but the people themselves. They are not interviews. They are wide open conversations where we learn about each other and the listener comes along for the ride.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Professionally, I plan to continue in the media and performing arts field forming a media company primarily focused on voice, web production and content producing. I would also like to continue to look for opportunities in administration in the performing arts. Personally, the journey continues. I am on a mission to understand myself and the human race as a whole especially as we see the fabric of culture and technology change before us at an exponential rate as well as the relationship between the two.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://smoothjazzsd.radio.com/hosts/ahmed-dents
- Email: ahmed@sunny981sd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahmedsvoice/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ahmedsvoice/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ahmedsvoice
- Other: https://www.ahmedsvoice.com/
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
