Station to feature Latinx beats

Twice weekly show based in Mansion neighborhood to feature Spanish music

A hyperlocal radio station based in the city’s Mansion neighborhood is offering a new live Spanish music show twice a week.

El Coro De La Musica Latina has recently started airing at 8 p.m. Thursday and Sunday evenings on WCAA-LP radio, 107.3 FM.

A lower-power radio station, WCAA is run by the nonprofit Grand Street Community Arts Inc. organization. It can be heard in the city of Albany as well as parts of the county of Albany as well as parts of Rensselaer County. It can also be livestreamed at grandarts.org.

The station offers an eclectic blend of music, information and commentary, with much of the programming of interest to urban listeners and people of color.

They are a member of the Pacifica Network of community stations nationwide but more than 80 percent of their programming is locally produced.

The station gained listeners during pandemic lockdowns and they have trained community members to produce radio programming with their phones and laptops.

“During the pandemic, somebody would show an interest and I would reach out and train them using Zoom and Audacity (a sound editing program),” said Paul Smart, a volunteer at the station.

El Coro De La Musica Latina, or

Choir of Latin Music, will be hosted by two Albanyarea DJS who spin Latin music: DJ Inflow and DJ Endy Vi.

They came to WCAA-LP at the urging of the Domenicanos Activos en Albany group as well as several key Black and Latino elected officials in the area.

Endy Vi, or Endy Dominguez, said their show includes a variety of Caribbean genres, including reggaeton, merengue, salsa and dembow.