KZSM 104.1/KZSM .org, your True Community Radio station, celebrates the diversity and creativity of our city with three programs dedicated to our Latino listeners, the bilingual show “Raices” (Sundays 7-8 p.m.), “Musica Con Ganas” (Sundays 8-9 p.m.), and “The Latin Party Mix” (Thursdays 7-8 p.m.)
“Raices” features stories and histories from San Marcos’ Hispanic community. “Raices” translates as “roots,” and host Cathy Lara uses both English and Spanish to trace the roots of our changing community. “If we look back at the Hispanic people in this town fifty, sixty, or seventy years ago, there wasn’t much written history,” Lara explains. “Often they had to work in the fields and didn’t get a formal education so everything was passed down orally.” “Raices” captures and records that history before it is lost to time.
“Musica con Ganas,” hosted by El Tío, is currently our only all-Spanish broadcast. The show features music from Mexico and beyond, celebrating the richness and variety of the culture. “The music speaks volumes about the culture,” El Tío explains. “There’s such a variety because of all the different influences — the Cuban culture on the bolero, for example, and Tex-Mex culture on the Tejano music and instruments that have been introduced like the German accordion — the foundation of Tejano music.” “Música con Ganas” roughly translates to “music with feeling,” and many of El Tio’s songs express the emotional intensity of Mexican music. “You have to understand the culture,” he says. It sounds violent, like ‘signing my name in the blood of my heart.’ You don’t get that kind of passion and fire anywhere else, I don’t think.”
“The Latin Party Mix” offers another perspective on the rich variety of Latin music encompassing a full range of genres, including Tejano, Salsa, Merengue, Rhumba, Latin Freestyle, Cumbia, Reggaeton, Bachata and more. As host DJ Alpha explains, “our goal is to connect all people to the Latin culture and the community of San Marcos. We will cover some topics that involve the Latino community and strive to support Latinoowned businesses and events.”
We are working to expand our programming to include more of our Spanish-speaking neighbors. Estamos trabajando para ampliar nuestra programación para incluir a nuestros vecinos que hablan Español. If you have an idea for a program in English, Spanish, or both, check out KZSM.org, or contact us at [email protected].
