THROUGH-OUT THE YEARS I NEVER LOST THE LOVE I HAD FOR LATIN MUSIC. AS A MATTER OF FACT, MY LOVE FOR THE MUSIC ONLY INCREASES WITH TIME.
IN THE EARLY 60'S I BECAME A PROFESSIONAL DANCER SPECIALIZING IN ALL LATIN STYLES INCLUDING THE PASO DOBLE BUT THE MAMBO WILL ALWAYS BE MY FAVORITE, (ON TWO).
WE MOVED TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN 1968 AND DISCOVERED A LACK OT THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF LATIN MUSIC ON RADIO IN OUR AREA. HIGHLY FRUSTRATED THAT I COULD NO LONGER HEAR THE MUSIC I GREW UP WITH AND SHOCKED THAT OTHERS HAD NOT EVEN HEARD OF THIS TYPE OF MUSIC I APPROACHED A LOCAL JAZZ STATION AFTER REQUESTING SOMETHING BY MONGO SANTAMARIA AND WAS ASKED, "WHO?" AND WITH THAT I BECAME A GUEST ON HIS SHOW, WAS GIVEN A ONE HOUR SPOT OF MY OWN WHICH EVENTUALLY BECAME A SIX HOUR SHOW AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE MOST POPULAR SHOW ON KSBR 88.5 FM IN MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA. THAT WAS BACK IN 1979. IN 1984 I STARTED ANOTHER SHOW OUT OF LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA ON KLON NOW KNOWN AS KKJZ AND FOR A SHORT TIME I ALSO DID A SHOW OUT OF SAN CLEMENTE CALIFORNIA. I DID ALL THREE SHOWS ON DIFFERENT DAYS OF THE WEEK AND ALTHOUGH ALL THREE WERE DIFFERENT, I CALLED ALL THREE SHOWS THE LATIN CONNECTION. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE MUSIC GOT OUT THERE FOR ALL TO HEAR.
IN 1982 I OPENED A RECORD STORE. I ONLY SOLD LATIN JAZZ AND SALSA. I WANTED TO BE SURROUNDED BY THIS MUSIC AND BY PEOPLE WHO SHARED MY LOVE FOR THE MUSIC.
IN 1991 MY HUSBAND RETIRED AND WE DECIDED TO RELOCATE TO LAS VEGAS SO I GAVE UP THE RECORD STORE AND AFTER 11 YEARS SAID GOODBYE TO KSBR. ARRIVING IN LAS VEGAS, AGAIN, THE SAME PROBLEM, NO SALSA OR LATIN JAZZ ON THE RADIO. UNBELIEVABLE! ALTHOUGH I HAD NO INTENTIONS OF GOING BACK ON RADIO I FOUND MYSELF FRUSTRATED AND DEEPLY ANNOYED THAT THIS MUSIC WAS NOT BEING HEARD IN A CITY THAT HAD SO MUCH IN COMMON WITH CUBA. I APPROACHED THE MANAGER OF A LOCAL SPANISH STATION WHO HAPPENED TO BE CUBAN. ACCORDING TO HER, THERE WAS NO MARKET FOR THIS TYPE OF MUSIC. ACCORDING TO ME, HOW CAN THERE BE A MARKET IF NO ONE PLAYS THE MUSIC? NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS TICKED OFF. I PERSISTED HOWEVER BY APPROACHING OUR LOCAL JAZZ STATION. THAT WAS BACK IN 1991. THE REST IS HISTORY. RAE ARROYO'S LATIN CONNECTION IS PROBABLY THE MOST POPULAR SHOW ON KUNV. SO MUCH FOR "NO MARKET." SPANISH STATIONS NEVER DID PLAY LATIN JAZZ OR THE MUSIC WE NOW CALL SALSA EVEN WAY BACK IN THE 50'S BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY.
I'VE HOSTED AND PRODUCED MANY LATIN EVENTS WHICH INCLUDED TITO PUENTE AND EDDIE PALMIERI. ONE OF MY HAPPIEST MOMENTS WAS BEING SELECTED AS A FEATURED DANCER IN THE MOVIE,"THE MAMBO KINGS." ANOTHER HAPPY MOMENT FOR ME OCCURRED HERE IN LAS VEGAS ON APRIL 3, 04 WHEN THE COMMUNITY HONORED ME WITH A SPECIAL TRIBUTE. SENATOR HARRY REID AND CONGRESSWOMAN SHELLEY BERKLEY HONORED ME WITH SPECIAL COMMENDATIONS AND OUR MAYOR, OSCAR GOODMAN ALONG WITH THE CITY COUNCIL PROCLAIMED APRIL 3 RAE ARROYO DAY IN LAS VEGAS.
RAE ARROYO'S LATIN CONNECTION ON KUNV LAS VEGAS, NEVADA AIRS SATURDAYS FROM 11 AM TO 2 PM ON 91.FM
ANOTHER VERSION OF RAE ARROYO'S LATIN CONNECTION ON WZRU AND WZRN AIRS SATURDAY EVENINGS AT 8 ON 88.5 AND 90.5 FM AND COVERS ROANOKE RAPIDS, ROCKY MOUNT, NORLINA, SOUTH HILL AND LAKE GASTON NORTH CAROLINA. ALSO COVERS A SOUTHERN PORTION OF VIRGINIA
LATIN JAZZ RHYTHMS WITH RAE ARROYO ON WNCU DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA AIRS FRIDAY EVENINGS AT 8 ON 90.7 FM.. CATCH THE LIVE STREAM ON THE WEB AT 5 PM PACIFIC TIME AND 8 PM EASTERN TIME...... TO LISTEN GO TO WWW.WNCU.ORG
AND MY NEW SHOW MADE ITS DEBUT ON WSNC WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA 90.5 FM MONDAY, FEB. 27, 06 . STILL WORKING OUT THE KINKS BUT YOU CAN LISTEN ONLINE BY GOING TO WSSU AND FOLLOWING THE LINK TO WSNC...7PM TO 9PM EASTERN ...POSSIBLY 6 TO 8...STILL NOT SURE
