We have to admit that it's pretty shameful that this is our first newsletter for over a year, but we hope that it was worth the wait. No doubt it will be a new experience for all the listeners that have discovered us since issue 20, and for those of you that have been around since day dot, well, they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Either way, we're making up for lost time... :)

It only seems like yesterday that we were celebrating our 5th Birthday, but lo and behold this year we turn 7! So we thought it was about time that we took to the river again for another summer boat party. Of course, being a couple of years older we wanted to do it even bigger and better this time round, so we've chosen our capital London as the location, and secured one of the plushest boats on the river.

Taking place on Saturday 23rd June 2012, this event is being organised in association with Soul Kandi and the Vocal Booth Weekender. We've recruited a dedicated team of deck hands to keep the boat rocking, including the righteous captain of our last voyage, Mr. Andy Ward. Alongside him we're excited to be bringing you one of the UK's hottest talents, Sean McCabe. Soul Kandi supremo Nick Power will finally be making his watery debut after missing the boat last time, and the AphroDisiax duo of Gavin Peters and Sy Sez will be keeping all four hands on deck to keep your sea legs moving. Plus we're holding a few surprises back to be announced in the coming weeks!

The boat departs at 1pm and returns to the dock at 5:30pm, so it's a full afternoon of fun. For those that want to carry on partying, there'll also be an evening after-party, which we'll be bringing you details of in the next issue. Needless to say, it'll feature a hand-picked selection of the finest DJs on the station.

Early-bird tickets are available to buy online now at ssradio.com/7years priced at £25 plus booking fee, and going on how quickly our last boat party sold out we strongly advise getting one now while you still can. Our dedicated event site also contains all the info you need to plan your journey, so please visit ssradio.com/7years to find out more.

We truly hope you can make it, and look forward to seeing the SSRadio family, both old and new, come together in one place to mark the occasion.

For full event info and tickets, please visit ssradio.com/7years.

Related links:
ssradio.com/7years
soulkandi.com
vocalboothweekender.com

Official Facebook event page

Andy Ward first gained success as a DJ in his home town of Birmingham, UK in the early 90’s, with his legendary Sunday morning parties at The Marco Polo Bar. This success led to an opportunity to join Choice FM (later to become Galaxy) in Birmingham, using his musical knowledge and tastes to present a diverse spectrum of music to the people of Birmingham.

Not content with conquering the DJ booth, Andy has also enjoyed phenomenal success as one half of chart topping duo Soul Central, and continues to enjoy a healthy solo remix and release schedule.

Andy joined us with his Vocal Booth Club Sessions show in 2009, and after rocking the boat for our 5th Birthday maiden voyage it was only natural that we invited him back to do the business again for our 7th Birthday celebrations.

Sean - the young prodigy hailing from south Wales that proved his mettle as a DJ/Producer with a juicy slice of hot-buttered, soulful House called "A Little More Love" featuring Adeola Ranson - has, at the tender age of just 26, not only produced and remixed for prestigious labels like King Street Sounds, Strictly Rhythm, Soul Heaven, and Z Records, but also played at Soul Heaven, Southport Weekender, SUNcéBeat and many other high-profile events.

His remix discography includes artists such as Donae’o, Dennis Ferrer, Quentin Harris, Stephanie Cooke, Todd Terry and Barbara Tucker to name but a few, and Sean's talents have attracted the attention of many music luminaries including the likes of Tony Humphries, Joey Negro, Phil Asher, and John Morales.

Long-time listeners may remember when Sean joined us for a brief stint in 2008 with his Melodious Radio Show on the Deep & Soulful Channel, and since then he's gone on to become hugely successful in the scene. So we're absolutely honoured to have him join us on the boat for what will no doubt be an incredible set.

Initiating his DJ career in 1980, Nick's musical style spans from US & UK soulful & funky House, to funky Disco & old-skool club classics. Nick was one of the original DJs on the legendary pirate Kiss FM, remaining with them when they became legal back in 1990, and went on to run the legendary Kool Club in Ayia Napa for many years.

As well as radio, Nick continues to play in some of the biggest and best clubs worldwide. Recognised for his enduring soulful and uplifting sets, his ability to read a crowd and keep them entertained is a quality trait, and one of the things that keeps him at the top of his game.

Since joining the Deep & Soulful Channel back in 2008, Nick has single-handedly built up a huge following of loyal fans that have help make his Soul Kandi Radio Show one of the most popular shows on the station. After missing the boat last time after his motorbike broke down en-route, we had to give him another chance! Let's hope he takes the train this time :)

That's it for this issue, we hope you enjoyed reading. Of course, we're always looking for ways to improve it, so if you have any comments or suggestions, please do let us know.

And if you do like it, why not share it on Facebook, Tweet it, or just e-mail it to a friend?