Shelby Wrightmate talks to Frank Words about what it's like being a DJ at Costa Blanca Radio.
 

Shelby Wrightmate is the only female presenter at Costa Blanca Radio, the only English speaking radio station on the Costa Blanca coast. She got into music while she was a student in London. She won a competition at The Hippodrome disco in London’s West End and hasn’t looked back since. 'I had a 15 minute spot to mix sounds and impress the judges. I chose some rap fusion, mixed in some other sounds, and I even sang myself for a bit. I thought I was terrible,' she says, ‘but the judges gave me first prize and apart from winning £1000, they gave me a regular 2 hour Friday night DJ spot at the Hippodrome. I couldn’t believe my luck. It was like a dream come true.’ She worked there part-time for eighteen months, while finishing her degree in business studies at The University of North London, and took the next flight to Spain.

Shelby is a London girl and coming to the Costa Blanca was like being in London again. 'I grew up in Romford, Essex which is just outside London,' she says. 'But I’d always dreamed of living in a sunny country like Spain. My friends are amazed that I decided to change my life and my country, but everyone is so friendly here, there are lots of English people living here and who have kindly offered advice and help. The staff at the radio station have been fantastic also. Al Koholic , the station manager, actually lent me one of the station’s lorries to bring my clothes and furniture over from the UK.'

Shelby claims never to get nervous before a show. ‘Nerves don’t help anyone’, she says. 'You can't get nervous because then you make mistakes.'

Of course, there has been the occasional disaster. 'For instance, when I did my first live concert show from Benidorm. The Rolling Stones were playing and I was asked to introduce them to a crowd of 35,000 and on live TV!.I went on stage and said: "Please welcome the most famous rock band in the world, their last album ....." Then I just went blank. There was this silence from the crowd, and for the life of me I couldn't think of the name of The Stones last album. Someone shouted the name, ‘Bridges To Babylon’, from the side of the stage. That's one occasion that I’d like to forget.'

Shelby says that her own musical tastes are varied. ‘I’m very lucky at Costa Blanca because they let me pick my own music for my shows. I select the tracks in advance and pass them to the station manager for approval. There isn’t usually a problem because so many listeners write and tell us how much they like the music I select,' she says. 'But for someone who likes music, this is a dream job. I get to go to concerts, meet the musicians and interview the stars that come and play in Spain. It's great to hear the show business gossip.'
Shelby isn't the sort of girl to get involved in drink and drugs. 'Of course, I come across a lot of drugs and alcohol in my line of work. They are usually offered around in the clubs and at the parties. I went a bit crazy when I first came out here, but I soon realized that it’s a recipe for disaster.'
Shelby Wrightmate is very nice, easy-going and a pleasure to talk to. She is so full of life that she quickly passes on her enthusiasm and love of music. She claims that her ambition in life is to make people happy through music. In my opinion she is doing that already!