LA Examiner

Author: Lauren Carpenter

  • After 50 Years, Alma del Barrio Still Delivers Latin Hits to LA

    After 50 Years, Alma del Barrio Still Delivers Latin Hits to LA

    Image credit: Unsplash

    KXLU, a non-commercial, educational broadcast station, delivers Latin beats to the LA population through its popular program, Alma del Barrio. With a debut over 50 years ago, Alma del Barrio is one the longest-running Latin music programs in the United States. The program runners reflect on this legacy and years of providing music to the Latino diaspora within the region.

    KXLU and the Debut of Alma del Barrio

    KXLU operates out of the Westchester campus of Loyola Marymount University with a license granted by the Federal Communications Commission, according to the official website. It was founded in the public interest and staffed by the university’s students, faculty, and volunteer staff. 

    The broadcast station made its on-air debut in 1957. In 1973, the first run of the Alma del Barrio program was initiated by then-students Enrique “Kiki” Soto and Raul Villa. 

    Alma del Barrio translates to “soul of the neighborhood.” Beyond showcasing excellent Latin music, Alma del Barrio educates listeners on the cultural origins of the music it plays and the artists who perform it. The program is now entering its 52nd year on the air. 

    Uplifting the Soul of the Community

    Within over half a century of running, Alma del Barrio has proven to be a pillar of the local community. As reported by SFGATE, it has worked as a resource for the Latin diaspora community in the region, promoting critical health initiatives, such as blood drives and local voter registrations.

    Alma del Barrio has also participated in the local culture of salsa clubs, festivals, and other events that sustain the music scenes of Southern California. The music and artists featured in the program help to tie together the diverse cultures living in the region, providing them the opportunity to celebrate their unique heritage. 

    A Dedication to Knowing the Beats

    The showrunners for Alma del Barrio strive to deliver not only Latin-themed playlists that will uplift the spirits of those stuck in LA traffic but also to provide genre knowledge and insights on the music they play.

    Nelson Rodriguez, one of the program’s several DJs who rotate sets on the show, spoke to SFGATE on his process. “I keep notes. I keep comments,” he stated. “I know everything about the recording—the name of the recording, who the singer is, then little tidbits.”

    Over his years of serving Alma del Barrio, Rodriguez has shared with listeners his deep knowledge of Afro-Cuban percussion, salsa romántica, cumbia, and more of the diverse sounds found under the umbrella of Latin music.

    Reaching the Next Generation of Latin Music Listeners

    Although Alma del Barrio has its roots in the local community across several generations, the music scene has proven to be an evolving one. A lot of contemporary music now incorporates elements of classic Latin genres, such as salsa, while putting new twists on it.

    Reaching younger generations of listeners has proven challenging for the runners of Alma del Barrio. Lydia Ammossow, the director of KXLU, commented on these barriers, stating, “I think it is challenging to get the current generation of students engaged in this music unless they have grown up with it if they have a parent or a grandparent and they have a natural connection.”

    To keep new generations engaged, Alma del Barrio takes cues from all listeners, young and old. “And so we started realizing that we have to be more focused on what’s happening on the internet and how we can incorporate that,” says DJ Rodriguez. 

    However, the stunning new beats have not always impressed older listeners. “Hey, you guys need to slow down your music a little bit because we’re now getting to an age that our hips can’t move that fast,” Rodriguez recalls being told by a listener.

    Like a delicate tango, Alma del Barrio dances between old traditions and new with its blend of diverse Latin beats from multiple regions. After over fifty years of serving the LA community, the program remains dedicated to keeping the music playing.

  • California Family Budgets are Stretched Thin This Holiday Season

    California Family Budgets are Stretched Thin This Holiday Season

    Image credit: Unsplash

    By Walter Contreras

    My family and the Latino community have a special connection to the holidays. The holidays are a time to gather with loved ones, exchange gifts, celebrate the joys of spending time with family, and most importantly, help others in need. But many Californians – particularly Latinos –are facing increasing financial hardship, much of it brought on by impractical state and local policies that have ballooned the cost of living for families across the Golden State, turning the celebratory holiday season into a struggle to make ends meet. 

    Many are forced to go into debt to try and make the holiday’s a joyous time for their families. In fact, California’s rising credit card debt problem captures this struggle. Our state now leads the nation with an average of $13,416 in credit card debt per household and in some cities these numbers soar above $20,000. 

    This heavy reliance on credit for everyday expenses—spurred by the rising costs of housing, gas, and groceries—is a worrying sign of a broader l  financial crisis for Californian households. Fueling this emergency are impractical state and local policies that increase the costs of goods and services without delivering meaningful results for Californians. It’s past time for lawmakers to reject well intentioned proposals that have burdened millions of Californians with significant unintended economic consequences and embrace a more practical agenda that benefits working people instead. We cannot afford to try new methods of environmental protection without understanding the financial impact that they will have on everyday people.

    Many of these policies are so-called “environmentally elite” regulations that offer questionable environmental benefits while hurting the state and its residents economically. For example, California’s approach to energy policy highlights the cost-of-living challenges that many households face. Over the past 10 years, residential energy rates have increased by an average of 101%, pushing households to pay electricity rates that are nearly double the national average.

    Meanwhile, California’s gas tax—the highest in the nation at $0.68 per gallon—adds another significant financial burden on families. New regulations by the California Air Resources Board could increase fuel costs by an additional $0.47 per gallon, further straining commuters’ budgets. Notably, this is a regressive challenge that impacts our poorest and most vulnerable communities the hardest. Some estimates show that the bottom quintile of households by income spend as much as 16% of their budgets on fuel versus just 2% for the state’s highest earners. 

    Additionally, housing costs remain a deep-seated problem intertwined with state and local sustainability policies. Restrictive zoning laws and the delayed implementation of the California H.O.M.E. Act—a measure aimed at promoting the construction of duplexes and small housing units—have significantly hindered efforts to address the state’s longstanding housing shortage. State and local inaction have helped to drive up the average cost of a home in California to 2.5 times the median national price, while the cost of renting is 33% higher than the national average. As a result, families can barely afford their most basic necessity: a roof over their heads.  In a state where families already pay top dollar for their property, gas, and food, it is unacceptable for policies to push costs any higher than they need to be.

    It’s clear that the state’s approach to initiatives like sustainability policy is putting undue economic stress on our communities. That is why it is urgent that our elected leaders take a different approach – one that pursues more practical solutions that balances economic prosperity with environmental outcomes. Californians deserve no less. 

    To start, lawmakers should prioritize having deeper and more meaningful dialogues with communities to understand how current policies and proposals under consideration at the state and local level might benefit or unintentionally harm those communities. This measured approach is supported by community advocacy groups across the state and will help develop policies that do not disproportionately impact low- and middle-income households, all of which is key to developing lasting reforms that tackle the underlying issues driving our state’s affordability crisis.

    The holidays should be a time of joy, not financial headaches. Yet, for many Californians, this season serves as a stark reminder of the state’s deep economic disparities and systemic challenges. This season, it is more important than ever for California’s leaders to commit to producing more thoughtful sustainability policies that offer residents the financial breathing room they need — not just in December, but year-round.

    Walter Contreras heads the Sperantia Foundation, a Southern California-based organization focused on food and water access equality, social development, and environmental stewardship. Driven by community transformation, Walter is also a Faith Root Organizer for Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE). He is also a board member of Californians for Smarter Sustainability (CASS), which seeks to balance California’s economic prosperity and quality of life alongside environmental protection.

    Written in partnership with Tom White