Latin music is alive and well on public radio

Latin Beat Magazine, May, 2005 by Chuy Varela

In the last 20 years, Spanish-language radio, as well as English/Spanish bilingual radio, has grown by leaps and bounds on both commercial and non-commercial outlets. Across Latino USA, radio defines the regional character and culture of the people it serves. Mexican regional style radio is the most powerful commercial radio medium on the West Coast, serving a large Mexican immigrant population by playing the traditional sounds of banda, Mexican-style grupos, conjuntos, and mariachi music.

For aficionados of salsa and Latin jazz there are very few commercial outlets on the West Coast. Public radio has played a paramount role in filling that gap by exposing Afro-Caribbean styles of music to a diverse array of listeners. On the East Coast, public radio is important as well, for keeping the clave alive on the airwaves and maintaining tradition for those of Caribbean heritage.

At the heart of salsa and Latin jazz on public radio are passionate and mostly volunteer programmers, who share their knowledge and the music from their usually extensive record collections. Whether on college campus stations or on National Public Radio affiliates, this music is kept alive by listener support and positive feedback to the programming.

What follows are profiles of veteran radio personalities on U.S. public radio and a partial listing of those that define the best of Latin music on non-commercial airwaves throughout the world.

RAE ARROYO: KUNV 91.5 FM--Las Vegas, Nevada

On April 3, 2004 the city of Las Vegas proclaimed Rae Arroyo Day in honor of the famed radio broadcaster whose show "The Latin Connection" is heard every Saturday (10 am-2 pm) on KUNV 91.5 FM (University of Las Vegas). Broadcasting since 1979, Rae has literally lived the history of modern U.S. Latin music. Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, she grew up listening to doowop and mambo. As a teen, she frequented the Palladium Ballroom (53rd & Broadway) with her dad, and became a professional dancer. She heard legendary radio deejays like Dick "Ricardo" Sugar and Symphony Sid Torin. After getting married, she relocated with her family to Southern California in 1968. Frustrated by not being able to hear the sounds she loved, she landed not one but three radio programs on KSBR (88.5 FM--Mission Viejo), KLON (Long Beach) and a public radio station in San Clemente. In 1982, she opened a record store which she kept until 1991, when her husband retired and moved the family to "the city of lost wages," as she calls Las Vegas. Shortly thereafter, she landed a spot on KUNV and is now a fixture on the Las Vegas radio airwaves. She is also syndicated on several stations around North Carolina. In addition, her son Ricky is a gifted percussionist and bandleader in the area. In an e-interview, I asked her for her thoughts on her role and mission in public radio and she replied in writing: "Musically, I try to convey to my listeners the talents of Latin musicians, to teach the non-Latin public that Latin musicians are every bit as talented as their non-Latin counterparts. Many listeners are newcomers to the Latin scene and need to be educated.

"I strive to convey to my audience that music is indeed a universal language and one need not know Spanish in order to enjoy it (Latin music). I try to get the listeners to enjoy Latin music without necessarily understanding the lyrics. Many of my listeners are not Latin, so I use vocals as another instrument. I try to give them a variety of rhythms, such as guajira, chachachá, guaguancó and danzón. You just never know which one will make the listener stand up and take notice. I love sharing the music with the listeners and I am told it comes through on the airwaves.

"What I can do on public radio that commercial radio ignores is to play the music in the first place. Unfortunately, the powers that be on commercial radio are still living in the horse-and buggy era and are not hip enough to know that Latin music is in ... Europe and Asia, of course, are a whole different ballgame. It seems our music is extremely popular everywhere but in our own back yard.

"As for programming, that's left entirely up to me. I can play whatever I like with no constraints. I can play a cut that's 15 minutes long or perhaps one that goes back to the 1940s. I especially like to play different renditions of the same song, so the audience can get a feel of how arrangements fit into the picture or perhaps how good the original might have been.

"The stations I broadcast on not only appreciate me and what I do, but respect my judgement as well. Furthermore they really enjoy the music. The future for Latin music on public radio is somewhat brighter than it has been in the past. Aside from my two shows in North Carolina and the one in Las Vegas, you can now find Latin music in such unlikely places as Georgia, and in other places that never carried it before. So there's hope. One thing's for sure: once the bug bites you, it's a lifetime commitment."

TOMÁS ALGARÍN: WCLK 91.9 FM--Atlanta, Georgia