Volunteer Spotlight

Igrew up in Germany but I’m German-Colombian, so I spoke Spanish at home and always had a lot of South American cultural influences in my life. My mum used to be a salsa dancer, so there was always latin music playing and dancing was a big part of my everyday-life growing up.

In ‘Fluidity’, my show on Radio Buena Vida, I integrate my cultural identity and background into my DJing. I create hybrid soundscapes mixing European electronic music with more folky Latin rhythms, often with Spanish vocals. The idea is to share something that is unique about me with communities here and to amplify Latin American sounds across Glasgow.

Originally, I came to the UK to study Sustainable Development in St Andrews. I was interested in human-nature relationships, and what effect different ideas about nature have on upholding certain power structures as well as who gets included in conversations about sustainability. I’m interested in taking a social justice lens to sustainability conversations because I believe community-based solutions to environmental issues are crucial.

After I graduated I moved to Glasgow because I was really attracted to the city’s music scene and I knew there was a lot going on. I’d been involved with university radio and organising club nights before and when I moved to Glasgow, I wanted to see what was possible outside of university. When I came across Radio Buena Vida, I got in touch expressing an interest in having a show. Things just started happening from there. Now, it’s probably the place I spend the most time outside of my workplace. It’s a project that lies really close to my heart.

Apart from my involvement in Radio Buena Vida, I am part of an audiovisual collective called ‘Phlox’. We organise multi-sensory club nights in various spaces around Glasgow and also have a show on Subcity Radio. I also have a monthly show on Hill52 Radio where I invite a guest to chat about heartbreak and share their favourite heart-break music. It is really fun for me to be able to share different parts of myself through all of these creative involvements.

As well as being a resident DJ, I’m an ‘in station’ volunteer at Radio Buena Vida. That means that I welcome DJs who come in to have a show, making them feel comfortable in the space. If it’s their first time, I show them how the equipment works. I’m also responsible for making sure that streams for the different shows go out on time and that they get recorded so that we can upload them to SoundCloud after.

Radio Buena Vida has such a wide range of show hosts and musical genres which I find really exciting. Every time I’m there, I meet somebody new and it makes me feel really happy to be part of this vibrant music community. I like being able to support people who have never had a show before, to introduce them to radio and make them feel welcome. The cafe is just a really warm place to be – the food is amazing as well. And I love that when you play a set, you’re not hidden away but you’re looking right out onto Victoria Road.

The whole idea of Radio Buena Vida was to give all sorts of people with different experiences within music, but also just within life, a chance to share what they’re into. ‘Buena Vida’ is Spanish for ‘The Good Life’ and I think that sums up what the radio station is about – creating beauty and happiness through music and community. The shows that are on the station are quite diverse and are trying to move away from being elitist or exclusive in any way. Everyone is welcome to come and do their thing and I think that’s really unique. It could be a visiting DJ who’s in town to play a big gig, or pupils from the local school. Everyone’s valued.

If you’ve never DJed before, it can seem a lot more scary than it actually is. David and Suz, who founded Radio Buena Vida, are really lovely. The amount of time they have for people is pretty special, and they’ve built an incredibly supportive community that really wants you to succeed and have fun. Everybody starts somewhere, and this is a place that is really understanding of people who are just starting out. I wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on the community I gained from being part of the radio station.