KBBF RadioLand By Serena Makofsky - January 2019
KBBF Appreciation Party
Community recognition can be essential for organizations. However, Sonoma County’s elected officials tend to overlook KBBF’s contributions to local news coverage and culture. Thus, KBBF is hosting its own event to honor its hard work! January 19th is the date, and the public is invited. Thanks to the volunteers and listeners who make the station great. For more information, call KBBF at 707 545-8833.
Invítame a Tu Tierra
Julio Lucas hosts a program celebrating world cultures and folklore every Tuesday from 5-6pm. Music, food, indigenous history, and a bit of mysticism form the conversation.
Lucas explained that the idea for his show began when he was taking night classes at SRJC. On the long drive back home to Tomales, he listened to the radio to keep him company. He tuned into KBBF and was inspired to give back to the community. As a volunteer, he began by cleaning the station and answering the phones. Gradually, people asked him to participate in various projects around the office. He wound up in a group that trained programmers and DJs.
It only was a matter of time before someone asked him to propose a show. However, he realized, “I had no idea what I wanted to do!” Juan Ignacio Moreno, a radio journalist from Guadalajara who worked at KBBF, invited him to collaborate. At first, Lucas was too nervous to speak much on the air, despite researching and practicing his comments.
About two years ago, Moreno encouraged Lucas to take over and do the show on his own. He decided it was his mission to inform listeners. He began by picking places, researching their basic facts, and then exploring deeper themes. He shaped his content to intertwine folklore and oral history from Latin America and beyond. “I speak the truth of a place,” he explained.
See next month’s RadioLand column for the recounting of one of Lucas’ stories.
Un Dia Más
Sunday mornings on KBBF, from 6-8am, belong to Porfirio Miranda. His show focuses on songs by trios. This means a lot of nostalgic, romantic songs about ex-loves and mistakes made that left hearts broken. There are also serenades and dedications. It is a style of music known well in Cuernavaca, where he is from. Guitars figure prominently in trios, and are a popular instrument in Cuernavaca.
Miranda also credits his wife with inspiring his show’s format. Her father was a member of Los Pecadores, a popular trio. Other groups that he enjoys highlighting on his program are Los Dandys, Los Tres Ases, Los Tres Reyes, Los Tecolines, and Las Marthas, a trio comprised of women.
La Fiesta de la Posada
What a fiesta! Last month, Comité VIDA and KBBF hosted the station’s annual posada and saw upward of 400 people in attendance. Santa gave out 270 gifts to the children.
Support KBBF
Alicia Sanchez, president of the board of directors, says, “The best kept secret of all Sonoma County is the KBBF radio station.” Start the New Year by showing your support of bilingual community radio! You can become a member at the KBBF.org website. There, opt for a monthly donation or a one-time gift. GRACIAS!
