LA JEFA TAKES OVER THE STUDIO

There are not enough words in the world to describe what this episode means to me.

When I first listened to Radio Universidad de Guanajuato in elementary school, I remember being awestruck by the power and gravitas that radio could deliver. It sounded gravely, raw, official, and rare. It truly sounded like I was hearing life passing by, slipping through my hands like sand. I knew from that point on that someday, maybe someday, I might just become a DJ, and when I did, I wanted my mother to hear how good my voice sound (we’re a very cocky family).

Needless to say, I never imagined in all of my years that I would ever get to not only let my mother hear me on the radio, but bring her on there myself. I cannot begin to describe how important this moment was in my life, and although my mother never lived to see me graduate, for me, this was good enough.

This episode was recorded less than a week before my mother lost her hearing entirely. We had intended this to be one of several episodes where she would either enter the studio, call in, or pre-record her show, but it was not to be. By the following Thursday, she had lost her hearing, and with that, I had lost my interest in producing my radio show. Given how quickly she declined, it is incredibly that we were able to record this episode in such a narrow window of her health. It’s also a stark reminder of how quickly a brain tumor can take your life away, muscle by muscle.

Listen to the livelihood and pride in my mother’s voice, and you will hear the sound of someone who was taken too soon. Please get checked up. Go to your doctor and make sure this doesn’t happen to you. Also - consider moving to Europe. My mother wasn’t killed by cancer, she was killed by a healthcare system that gave up on her when she needed it most (her insurance stopped coverage of the expensive life-saving treatment that had kept her alive and healthy for 4 years). Forget about your life savings; live it up and spend every day as if it is your last, your 401k will not be able to save you from the ravages of the healthcare industrial complex (unless you can become a multi-millionaire).

Thank you WSUM for giving me the privilege of making this episode.

-Hernán Ballard

Track List:

Henry Mancini, “Pink Panther Theme”

Vicki Carr, “Si Nos Dejan”

Roy Orbison, “Blue Bayou”

Linda Rondstadt, “Blue Bayou”

Selena, “La Carcacha”

Selena, “Tu Solo Tu”

Ricardo Arjona, “Jesus, Verbo No Sustantivo”

Calo, “La Taquiza”

Azucar Moreno, “Bandido”

Pedro Infante, “Las Mañanitas”

This episode was recorded on December 9th, 2021.