Kenny Jones

Bangalore has one English language radio station and one fantastic American DJ.

Kenny Jones and Radio Indigo are keeping me sane. When India’s eccentricities and messiness sometimes loose their charm I have my rides to work with Kenny to cleanse the pallet.(Photo from the Hindu)

Most days, I ride into work with a friend, Krithika, and we spend much of those rides laughing at Kenny, or at the absurdity that is Bangalore during rush hour.

Kenny Jones is a former PE teacher from Orlando turned Indian DJ and he has revolutionized Bangalore radio. With his sidekick, Sriram, Kenny has given Bangalore a level of interaction on the airwaves Americans apparently take for granted.

Hearing local folks call in and interact with Kenny is priceless. Most callers are generally pretty awkward on-air and fall over their words when given the opportunity to speak with him. The calls are gold. His signature line, “love, ya,” is apparently a crowd pleaser but I could hug the guy for simply being American and giving me a taste of home.

For a little more on Kenny, American’s unofficial ambassador to Bangalore, check out a great profile on him in the Hindu.

And finally, I owe Krithika a big thank you. She has gotten way more America than she bargained for when she agreed to carpool with me. She is a trooper and done her best not to completely tune me out when I go on about the Redskins, missing Jessie or craving a juicy burger. So, thanks, you certainly earned it.