NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Yolanda Estrada is not your typical DJ. There isn’t any screaming into the mic or social media selfies. What she gives you is the time.
Every hour on the hour, her calming voice swaddles you, as she introduces you to music, long forgotten.
“I listen to music that my mom used to sing and dance to,” Estrada said. “When the radio was playing, she would sing those songs. My husband had a business.”
The business that Estrada and her husband owned was Musica Latina, a popular record store on Magazine Street in New Orleans that opened its doors in the late 1960s.
“I decided to come be a DJ because of this story. Somebody from the WWOZ radio station came to see me, and I was hesitant. My husband pushed me,” Estrada said.
Over the years, she has gained a national following with WWOZ. Popularity aside, even Estrada can’t believe she has been volunteering for more than 31 years.
“The listeners say they have been listening to me since they were in high school,” Estrada said.
Friends have come and gone, and soon this culture bearer will be saying goodbye too.
“I’m going to be retiring soon. Maybe you can do it now,” she said.