Freddy Aquino
I was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico and raised in a traditional Puerto Rican home, where music and parrandas was our lifestyle. I will never forget my grandfather leading the way with a guiro and songs as we turn pots, pans and wood boxes into drums and panderetas. At age 6 my mother and I moved to Manhattan, NYC where my family and everyone were natural born Salseros. That’s when it all began.
My music and radio career began in New York in 1975 as a DJ at clubs, events, and in High School Radio. I was fortunate and blessed to be part and work in the Golden Era of Salsa, a decade when all music genres changed the world and music was everything. After high school I moved to Puerto Rico to learn about my roots and get a degree. And after a two year college stint at Inter American University, San German and a few radio and club gigs, I quit college and enlisted in the US NAVY to become a Communications & Electronic Engineer.
During my eight years in the Navy I served on Submarines, AirCraft Carriers and Navy Bases in San Francisco, but I continued to work in Radio with Armed Forces Radio & TV (AFRTS), producing and hosting Jazz and Latin music programming for the crew. The Latin Experience, JAZZ Underway, Salsa On The WEST-PAC, and Tunes Under The Sea played on the closed circuit TV and Radio channels when underway on missions around the world. Producing those shows for the crew convinced me that radio and music will always be part of my life.
Upon my arrival in San Francisco, I returned to school and managed to complete my degree, a B.S. in Communications and Media Arts, Radio & TV from San Francisco State University. I also added Radio Broadcasting and Sound Engineering Certifications and Licenses. That open doors at KJAZ 92.7fm, the only commercial jazz station at the time. I started as an intern and Bob Parlocha became my mentor and taught me JAZZ and Jazz Radio and how to be a host. After ending my naval career, I became an entrepreneur in the music and radio business and I remained working with KJAZ as an engineer and producer and was involved in producing and hosting the Berkeley, Russian River and Monterey Jazz Festivals and working with RMM and Concord Jazz records and Pete Escovedo at his night clubs in Oakland. During the 80’s in Oakland and San Francisco Bay Area after the end of my Navy career, I continued my relationship with the USO to produce Jazz and Latin Music events for the military. Then I got a call from KRML Radio in Carmel and Monterey to produce and host the Latin Experience, a Latin Jazz & Salsa show on Sunday’s afternoon. It was Jazz heaven, especially since Clint Eastwood was Carmel’s mayor and my number one fan.
After getting married, I returned to NYC to pursue other opportunities in radio and the recording business and my life changed forever. In addition to my radio and music business in NYC, I was hired as an engineer at WNYC Radio, a city owned classical and Jazz station. That was bad timing because a few months later I was laid-off due to budget cuts. Now married and starting a family, it was time for a career change. Goodbye Radio & Hello Telecommunications!
During my 22 years in the Telecommunications industry I worked in New York City, Puerto Rico & Caribbean, Dallas, Mexico and Latin America and I arrived in South Florida in 2001. In 2004 I discovered WDNA and my passion for radio and Jazz was reborn.. Since then I have been involved with WDNA as a member, volunteer, and on-air guest host on Fusion Latina with Andy Harlow and Robert Heredia and now I am the host of the Latin Jazz Quarter on Tuesdays.
