By Romeo Juwle Togba (A Liberian Journalist)
Babason David Harris was arguably one of the most insidiously talented broadcasters many of us ever had the privilege of working with.
Babs, Uncle Babs, or H-Marvelous, as he was affectionately called, could best be described as the embodiment of quality production and exceptional presentation. His smooth, enchanting voice took radio by storm.
The boy from Tubmanburg, as he would fondly call himself, arrived on the broadcasting landscape with a bang.
His quavering and unique tone first announced itself on DC 101 FM in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His midweek evening program, Marvelous Midweek Production, was a must-listen. He kept Monrovia under his spell until late into the night. That was Babs—a commanding presence on the radio.
When the war intensified and DC shut down, Babs moved to Radio Hope. He later joined ELBC, Kings FM, and then SKY FM, where he reunited with his mentor, Martin Nagbe Brown.
He was one of the pioneering voices on SKY FM, producing the popular morning show, Just Another Day (JAD) . His journey would also take him to Love FM. You could truly call him a man who traversed Liberia’s media landscape with poise, creativity, and remarkable versatility.
His voice became the first choice for advertisements and station promotions for many businesses and radio stations. Count the stations in Monrovia, and chances are their promos carried the unmistakable voice of Babs.
The peak of his professional journey, perhaps, saw him at UNMIL Radio and later ECOWAS Radio, where he exceptionally produced and presented the nighttime program Night Shift, the Saturday Morning Show, and the panoramic A Taste of Africa, a musical journey across the continent, blending timeless classics from the 1960s to the present.
Someone once referred to it as “a sumptuous supply of delicious African music.” Guess what? Babs was the chef.
It is no fluke that some of Liberia’s and regional broadcasting greats held him in the highest esteem.
The Liberia’s broadcast doyen Martin Nagbe Brown praised his “masterful qualities,” while the legendary Joseph Roberts-Mensah , himself a true perfectionist, described Babason as “a voice of brilliance.”
Babason was a radio wonder.
Outside the walls of the studio, he struggled with a severe stutter. But once he sat behind the microphone, there was no trace of it. His delivery was flawless, confident, and captivating. A broadcasting mystery, many would say.
The media has lost not just a great name.
It has lost a truly mesmerizing voice.
A voice that informed, entertained, inspired, and left an indelible mark on Liberia’s broadcasting history.
Indeed, Babason David Harris was more than a voice.
